Am I a Strong Swimmer?

I was listening to the radio this morning and heard a story. I don't know if this is a true story but it really touched my heart.

A father and his two children were swimming in the ocean. They were all good swimmers but soon the father looked up and noticed the tide was coming in and the current was taking them out to sea. He was a strong swimmer but he knew he would be unable to fight the current and save both of his children. He turned to his daughter who was the older of the two children, and he said to her, "Honey you are a strong swimmer and I know that if you try you could float on your back for hours. I need to swim to the shore with your brother and I will find help. Don't be afraid, I will come back for you." And he left his daughter our in the ocean.

When he reached the shore with his son they went for help. Within the hour there were hundreds of searchers out on the ocean looking for the little girl. After four hours they found her, still floating on her back far out to sea. When asked if she was scared the little girl replied, "No I wasn't afraid. My Daddy said he'd come back for me, he told me he'd send me help. I was just doing what my Daddy told me to."

This story touched my heart and I felt like God was reaching down to give me a great big hug. He's telling me just hang in there you're a strong swimmer, I'll send you help, I'll come back for you soon.

Mine Field in the Grocery Store!!!!

When I moved to this small town one of the biggest changes I noticed right away was the conservativeness. I'm not sure if that is even a word but I'm using it ha ha! When I say "conservativeness" I mean things like, no buying alcohol on Sundays, and no slot machines in the gas station, and a church on every corner (even in a small town).

When I became a Christian and a mother I began to appreciate small things like how the local grocery store I shopped in did not sell alcohol. I am a recovered alcoholic and there are times when the urge to drink is so overpowering it's only by the grace of God I am able to escape it. I am a born again Christian and Jesus changed my life. I don't desire the lifestyle I did before being saved but there are times when I am so tempted. I can't explain it and I wish I could be rid of it but it's part of my flesh and I am pretty sure I will live with this for the rest of my life. That is one reason why I counsel my children not to even bother with the first drink. I pray they will live a life free from the scars of drugs and alcohol.

A few years ago our "conservative" local grocery store began selling alcohol. I was so disappointed to walk in and see the stacks of cases of booze... I got in the habit of just not walking by the alcohol section. Then they grew wise to my methods because they started placing displays of beer all over the store!!! So now when I'm shopping with my family it's like a mine field of temptation. God tells us in the Bible to flee from sin and I do every time I see one of these displays. I dart down the closest isle or scoot past as quickly as I can.

I am getting stronger every time I refuse to give in to my temptation. I know God allows me to be tempted for this very reason. To make me stronger. I'm sad to see the slow decay in our society. It's actually not so slow anymore. It's spiraling out of control. So many people have lost the sense of right and wrong and those who haven't are like me in the grocery store, walking through a mine field of temptation. I am sad to think of the world my children are growing up in, and what they will face as adults raising children themselves. It makes 1Thessalonians 5:17 mean more to me than ever. "PRAY WITHOUT CEASING"