It’s been three days since the plane crash, and I still don’t know what to do. Girding on the last pack of rations from my plane, I know that I’m a long way from civilization. I’ve started to head North-east in hope that I might come upon some water, for I fear that my supply will run out fairly quickly in this dry desert.

It’s been an interesting day. Opening my map, it told me that I could find an oasis west of my position. Still, I don’t see an oasis, and I’m sure that if I continue on my present course I will find water soon. It’s really dry and barren out here. It’s about 100 degrees in the shade, if I could find some. There are no trees that I can see. I think I recall a large rock on my way here. I think that I will try to find it before day break.

Today I found a caravan of people moving west. One of them stopped for a second and came back to me. He chatted with me and told me something about water to the west and an oasis. He pulled out a map similar to my own, yet I told him that I knew my way, and that I could find water on my own. He’s crazy. I mean, why would I want to give up my home to follow him and his band of tunic-wearing friends. Some people just don’t understand that they’re not the only ones with the right way home. I need to make my own choice, not be bossed around by another.

It’s getting rather hot out here. My water will soon run out. That, and my rations are slowly thinning. Well, at least I’m getting thin. I wonder when I’ll get home. Boy, I’ll sure be glad to see my nice bed. I had the weirdest dream this morning. I dreamed that my children were gone when I got back. My ex-wife had taken them and I would never see them again. I don’t understand it. I mean, it just didn’t work out, that’s all. Then, my new wife left me for the next door neighbor. I woke up and looked at the map. It pointed westward once again, yet I know that home is North-east.

I saw some guys in a dune buggy today. That must mean that I’m getting close. They were nice guys and all, but they wanted to take me west. I told them, “I’ve heard about that place in the west. They don’t tolerate people like me. In fact…” I listed some things that I had heard. They begged me to go with them, but I refused. It’s my choice. It’s my life. I have the right to do with it as I chose, and no one’s going to tell me how to run my own affairs.

There are many signs the Christian has along the road of life. God is not in the business of saying “Ha, Ha, Ha. They’ll never guess what my will is!” He is in the business, however, of developing a personal relationship with those that believe Him. His word shows us the way, and we must be willing to follow. Our friends that are around us try to exhort us, but we must listen. We must not look at who we are, but who He is and what He has done for us.

“Can you get into the pool?” Kate asked.

“Of course I can get into the pool,” the boy replied. He proceeded to get climb down the ladder into the water below. “See?”
“Good.  Now come over here to me,” she instructed. The boy made his way over to her. It was an experience that the boy hadn’t had in years. To have that much water surrounding his body was a curious sensation. Something that he would take some time getting used to.

“So, how does it feel?”

“Different. I haven’t done this in a long time!”

“Well, here. Let me show you some strokes.” She swims to the right and starts to demonstrate different strokes as the boy watches on. She goes back and forth with seemingly effortless motion.

“You expect me to do that?!”

“Well, not right at first. Let’s try this. Hold on to this,” she instructs, as they both turn to grab onto a piece of metal bar that is on the side of the pool, “and see if you can float.” He held onto the bar, and his feet went up.

The night continued on, as Kate tried to teach the boy how to at least tread water. His insecurity about the whole thing made it difficult, as he didn’t want to trust the water below him.

“Can you stick your head under water?”

“I think so. Let’s see.” He quickly stuck his head under and brought it back up. “That was weird. I was scared.”

“Why? I wouldn’t let you drown.”

“I know that, but still…”

At one point, she tried to get him to do the back float while he held on to two bars. “Okay, now all you have to do is to keep your belly button pointed to the sky. Can you let go with one hand. I’ll keep my hand on your back.” So he let go with one hand, but didn’t know what to do with it. The floating feeling was strange, and he felt he had no control. He placed his hand on her back, to get support, just as the life guard called for everyone out of the water.

As Christians, we must trust God with all of our heart. It is not an easy thing, yet with practice, turning one’s life over to Him can result in a wonder of how we ever lived without Him. Of all people, He is the One that loves us the most, and gave us His Son to die for us. Like the boy in the story, we can trust Him with our lives, yet, too often we need to have control of the situation ourselves. To give Him all things is to secure all things, so why is it so difficult? We must learn to deny ourselves if we want to be fit for His service.