The day I walked on Water

                 The Day I Walked on Water

       It was a sunny weekend in 1968, and I was the precious age of Thirteen, and took the bus with my two brothers to the San Francisco Ocean beach. When we arrived, we walk down the steps onto the sand and pick a spot to lay down our towels, threw off our shoes and socks, and strip down to our bathing suits. I walked toward the water and waded in up to my thighs. I stood there looking over the water swirling it at my side with the tips of my fingers, and feeling the waves gently push me off balance. I was planted there for a minute hypnotized by the glistening of the sun that spilled out over the water like diamonds.

       Suddenly, a little boy about 7 or 8 years old crossed my vision and brought me out of my trance. I watch as he repeatedly try to jump onto this inner tube. On his final attempt the inner tube plopped up and went skidding away from him across the water like a Frisbee. He was about to go after it, but I yelled to him “no!” wait here, I’ll go get it for you. I swam about two or three body lengths and reached out and grabbed the tube, then I turned and threw it back to him and motioned for him to get to the beach. He turned and headed toward the beach. It was at that very moment I felt a strong tug and all at once I was pulled under the water. It was as if the demons of hell grab hold of both my legs preventing me from getting to the surface.

       I tried with all my might to kick my way out of the vise of doom. This force began to drag me further and further away, till I could see that I was dragged all the way to the cliff house where this section of the beach that was closed off and vacant and not a soul in sight. I continue to fight to stay above water as my heart pounded and realized I was going to die, and in that instant, I experienced what people say about your life flashing before you, in that instance I felt my entire family, I saw faces, I felt emotions rushing to the surface all in a matter of seconds. Yet, what came crashing through all that fear was my catechism lesson. I saw the page with the picture of Jesus surrounded by all the children and the words of the Nun echoing in my mind  “Jesus loves the little children,” all at once I look up and cried out “God save me!” suddenly I felt a tug that seemed to pulled me upward and forward as if flung from a catapult, reminiscent of the little boys inner that went skidding across the water, and I was free and swam as fast as I could toward the beach which was still quite a distance away, but being a strong swimmer I found within me this sudden burst of supernatural power finding my way to the beach.

       Once I was safely on the beach, I stood there with my hands on my knees catching my breath, trying to make sense of what just happened, but I was too still too young and naïve. I stood up and looked around to see that I had drifted way down by the cliff house, quite a distance from where my brothers were. When I turned and look where I emerged, I saw my footprints emerging out of the water and realized It was a new beginning, footprints of a survivor.

       As I began my walk back up the beach in the direction of where my brothers were, I passed driftwood to my left and seaweed to my right. I saw broken shells entangled in the seaweed strewed about that part of the beach. These castaways that laid about made me realize today that these represented lost souls that God would put in my path, the lost, the forgotten, the broken, the very people I would later lead to Christ. As I continue to walk it seemed like forever, but so grateful for every step I took.

       Then, it was as if I had stepped from one empty world into another, the beach came alive with the sounds of life. There were people laughing, children playing, dogs barking. There was music blasting, there was singing, there was dancing, couples hugging, couples kissing, volleyballs flying, footballs sailing, I heard hotdogs plumping! And there amid this joyful chaos sat my two brothers. Phillip buried up to neck in sand, what a glorious sight to behold. It would be many years later that this day would become my epiphany and Gods love letter and His calling on my life. God spoke to my heart and said, “because you acted as a catalyst and saved a little boy from certain death, I reached down and spared yours.”

       I was young and naïve and did not and nor was I fully trained in the word of God that gives Him substance. All I knew is a miracle just happened. Today, I believe because I survived that with Gods help, I can overcome any storms that dare to bring me down. On this day, I learned true compassion, true sacrifice, and how precious life is. God showed me how to trust Him amid the ups and downs, and the storms that will come against me for His sake. I have found myself in these storms throughout my life, and every time I remember this day “The Day I Walked on Water” and I still look up and cry out “God Save Me!” He never fails.

       Like Peter in Matthew 14:22-23 I now understand by putting my eyes back on the Lord, instead of focusing on the problems that are trying to bring me down, only then will I continue to walk on water and so will you.