I Can See It. I Can Almost Reach the Shore...

There is a story of a man who was warned about swimming in a nearby river. It's undertows and flow were strong and dangerous. He was warned that it was better to walk or go the extra distance to the lake where it was safer to swim.

One particularly hot day as the man walked towards the lake, as he had done so many times before, he noticed the river bank was gentle and inviting. So, he left the path and walked down the soft sandy slope. His feet were hot and what could it hurt to dip his hot tired feet into the cool water? He remembered the warning and then curiousity and the gentle rush of excitement soon found him shoeless standing on the edge. This isn't so bad he thought. Why all the fuss and worry. This is so much closer and better than going all the way to the lake.

Days passed and soon he found himself excitedly up to his knees splashing water on his face and reveling in his new discovery and pleasure.

A little more time passed and soon he was sitting up to his neck at the water's edge. He thought, I am a strong swimmer and am curious to see if I can match this water with my skills. Carefully and anxiously he prepared, but he could not imagine the excitement that came as he plunged into the water near the shore and began to swim. From time to time to he would reach out his hand to touch the sandy embankment. And to his horror he found that everytime he reached out to touch it, the current pulled him a little closer away from the embankment. Excitedly he swam harder and reached farther only to be pulled and move a little further away. Before long his cries for help and fatigue found him in the middle of the river being pulled down stream against his will. His strength and efforts against the undertow were in vain. Panic filled his body with adrenaline as plunged under the water and was tossed about. He deeply regretted ever stopping to look, then straying from the path to the lake and "just" putting his feet in the water that was now consuming him to the point of taking his life.

At the point of despair, and with one final cry an arm reached out from a rocky embankment and pulled him to safety. He looked up and saw his Brother standing there.

In the future, the man enjoyed walking the path to the lake more than ever before... shoes on his feet, his feet on the path, safely traveling on and the lake never felt so secure.