Drowning

Some of the moms from Luke and Esther’s class thought it would be fun to treat the kids to an afternoon  at the lake to celebrate their last day of school.  It was such a beautiful day and the kids were having a blast.  Charsie and Esther decided to swim out to the floating platform that designated the swimming area.  Many of the other kids had done it several times throughout the day already. 

As Esther and Charsie headed out I yelled to them, “Are you sure that is a good idea?”  I knew Esther was not an experienced swimmer at all.  Charsie yelled back that they were both doing just fine.  Charsie had taught Esther how to swim the first summer she was here, but it was just in our little yard pool. As I watched them swim away Esther was swimming beautifully.  Here’s the thing;  Esther is as strong as a horse and has athletic ability that is crazy amazing, BUT she does not know how to float or tread water.

AT ALL.

She is like a sprinter.  It’s all good for a few seconds and then that is all she has.

As they got about halfway out there, something just didn’t look quite right.  It looked like they were playing and splashing each other.  All we could really see were the silhouettes of their heads and then their arms were just flailing around instead of “swimming”.  Lashae and I stood on the shore with the babies and I yelled out, “Are you OK?”  They didn’t respond and it was hard to see what was going on, all we could see was their heads bobbing up and down. 

  Pretty soon, Charsie yelled out, “HELP”.

Praise God, Charsie had just read an article the week before that said drowning does not look like drowning, and people do not usually call for help because they are spending all their energy gasping for air when they can get it.  Charsie recalled that article and used her precious breath to yell for help.

Esther had gotten tired and panicked and grabbed ahold of Charsie and was pulling her under, over and over again.  When Charsie yelled for help, she was already getting dizzy from lack of air.

I heard her, even though I don’t remember hearing her, but Lashae said I bolted the minute we heard “HELP”.  As I jumped in I was  yelling at Charsie the whole time, “Get away from her”, because I know that drowning people take others down with them, which is exactly what Esther was doing.

  Charsie broke away.  I got within arm’s length of Esther and she was coming up less and less often and barely high enough to gasp for air.  When I got to her I screamed, “STOP MOVING”.  

I knew if she got her hands on me, she would pull me down.  She is so strong.  

She looked at me like I have never seen anybody look at me, and she went dead still.  Her eyes looked right into my soul as if she had NO choice but to trust me, and she begged me with her eyes to help her.  I grabbed her face and kept her up above the water, as she laid there as still as could be.  I had yelled for a life jacket and Lashae heard me, and sent  Luke, and he got out there just moments after I reached Esther and had a life jacket to lay her on.  

We were both too exhausted to make it back without that help.  As I looked towards the shore for the first time, I could see the army of moms fully clothed coming to the rescue.  I can’t tell you how amazing it felt to know that my kids were out there fighting for their lives and every mom around came running with no questions or hesitation to do whatever they could to help.

It gives me the chills to even remember. 

  One of the mamas brought a noodle and I gotta tell ya, every bit of flotation was appreciated.  We were tired even though it all happened in just a few short minutes. 

But more that any piece of flotation the support and reassurance that I felt was incredible.  It makes me teary when I think about it.

 In the end, we were all fine.   We were a bit shaken up, but we are so grateful for how it turned out.   We finished the day playing, a bit more subdued, but enjoying the day and being extra grateful.  We have taken a few days to process it, as it happened so fast, and I get a bit choked up when I think about now.

I’m so thankful for God’s provision and protection to allow for things to turn out the way they did.

*********

Charsie had read an article that saved her and Esther’s life, and she recalled it at the moment she needed it. 

  *God’s Provision*

Lashae and I heard Charsie yell for help. 

  *God’s Protection*

I was right there and I’m a pretty decent swimmer.

  *God’s Provision*

Charsie and Esther could hear my instructions in the midst of utter chaos and panic. 

  *My loud bossy yelling became a blessing* ha!  *Only God*

Esther heard me and trusted me and obeyed my instruction.  ON THE SPOT!!!  *God’s protection*  And I have to add, Esther has trust issues because of all that has gone on in her life, and that girl had a serious choice to make, and she trusted me, and that has been an incredible breakthrough for her and I.  *God’s Grace.*

 Lashae kept a cool head and alerted the other moms, and sent Luke out with a life vest.  She also kept the babies safe on shore, because once things were a tiny bit under control, I yelled in my own panic, 

“THE BABIES”,

 because I could see all the awesome mommies coming to the rescue and I remembered all the babies left on shore. 

  In my right mind I know these moms would never leave the little ones in danger, but I was not in my right mind at that moment. 

Praising God over and over and over again for all that He did for us that day.

*********

One of the things that God keeps bringing to mind is: Psalms 46:10  Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted  among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.

When we are drowning and flailing around in life, God tells us to be still.

  When Esther stopped flailing and grabbing I could help her, but she had to be still first.  

This is such a picture of how God is with us.  He is right there ready to help us, but we have to stop trying to save ourselves and pulling other people down with us and just

 STOP And LISTEN TO HIS INSTRUCTION!!!!

Thank you Lashae, and Jill, and Shonna, and Denise for your willingness to love me and my kiddos and for jumping in with EVERYTHING at a moments notice to HELP!!!!