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Love
Lifted Me
A
man and his grandson, Vivian and Shane McGarry of
Westmeath Co., Ireland, were vacationing north of
their home in a west Sligo resort and fishing one
morning from the pier at Easkey.
The weather changed as the winds increased and
the ocean, at full tide, grew large swells. Shane, the 9-year-old boy, was swept off the pier by a large
wave and dragged out to sea...
A
17-year-old, Ryan Kearney, immediately jumped in to
attempt to rescue the boy.
The strong currents thwarted his attempt, and
now both Shane and Ryan were swept out to sea away
from the mainland...
The
commotion on the pier caught the attention of
22-year-old Narayan Toolan of Ballinamore, Ireland,
who was in Easkey for a few days of surfing after
completing an Honours Law Degree in the London School
of Economics. Narayan,
a strong swimmer, resisted his first impulse to jump
in to attempt to rescue them both.
Instead he sprinted up to his tent,
approximately 200 yards away, collected his surfboard
and ran back to the sea.
He
then paddled out through the violent sea and reached
the two who were in serious difficulty.
Narayan dragged Shane, who at this point was
barely conscious, onto the surfboard.
Ryan clung to the back of the board as Narayan
attempted to paddle and steer them back to the land.
As he struggled to make for shore he soon
realized that they were, despite their best efforts,
being drawn further out to sea because they were
caught in a rip tide.
Narayan managed to stay afloat and keep his
crew “on board” until a rescue helicopter arrived.
Shane and Ryan were then hoisted to safety, and
Narayan made his own way with his board back to the
shore, to a hero’s welcome. *
Due
to OUR own wrong choices, you and I are much like
Shane: drowning in our sins, destined to die, and
powerless to save ourselves.
Yet because of His great love for us, God sent
Jesus to our rescue (John 3:16).
Jesus gave His life for our sins in order to
save us (Ephesians 1:7).
James
Rowe wrote the words of a song using the analogy of a
drowning man and
his rescue to illustrate what Jesus can do for YOU and
for ME. The
song is entitled, “Love Lifted Me.”
I
was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore,
Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more,
But the Master of the sea, heard my despairing cry,
From the waters lifted me, now safe am I.
Love
lifted me! Love lifted me!
When nothing else could help
Love lifted me!
In
His love, the Master of the sea, Jesus, longs to lift
you from the perils of sin.
He WILL lift those who: believe
in Him (Acts 16:30-31), turn from sin in repentance
(Acts 17:30-31), confess
Him before men (Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized
(immersed) in His name for the forgiveness of sins
(Acts 2:38).
Just
as James Rowe exclaimed “Love Lifted Me”...
love can lift YOU
too,
IF you will TRUST and OBEY Him today.
--
David
A. Sargent,
Minister
Church
of Christ at Creekwood
1901
Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695
* “Heroic rescue saves
9-year-old boy from drowning.”
The Leitrim Observer – http://www.leitrimobserver.ie/news/Heroic-rescue-saves-9yearold-boy.1644340.jp
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