The Drowning Man
Theme: Recognizing God's Miracles and Providence
A terrible storm caused a massive flood in a small town. As the waters rose, a devout man climbed onto the roof of his house. He prayed fervently, "Lord, I trust in You completely! Please save me!"
A few minutes later, a neighbor came by in a canoe. "Jump in!" the neighbor shouted. "I'll take you to higher ground!" "No, thank you," the man replied. "I am waiting for God to save me."
The waters rose higher, reaching the edge of the roof. A police motorboat zoomed by. The officer threw him a rope and yelled, "Grab on! We're here to rescue you!" "No!" the man yelled back. "I have absolute faith. God will save me!"
The waters rose to the man's chest. A rescue helicopter hovered overhead, dropping a ladder down to him. A paramedic screamed through a megaphone, "Climb up! This is your last chance!" The man waved them away. "God will deliver me!"
The waters swept over the roof, and the man drowned. When he arrived in Heaven, he stood before God, deeply confused and hurt. "Lord," he asked, "I had perfect faith in You! I prayed for You to save me. Why didn't You come?"
God looked at him and said gently, "My child, I sent you a canoe, a motorboat, and a helicopter. What more were you looking for?"
Reflection
We often expect God's grace to arrive in spectacular, parting-the-Red-Sea type miracles. We fail to realize that God almost always works through ordinary people and practical circumstances. Open your eyes. The help, the healing, and the rescue you have been praying for might just be the person standing right in front of you.