Newsflash: some electronic equipment that is designated for sports and is waterproof has straps that do not withstand the hydro force of hitting water at a high rate of speed. This fact was first illustrated when my husband jumped off of a 20-foot ledge into a lake several years ago. I am sure that the watch he had been wearing continued to work for a number of hours, but the strap that held it to his wrist (I almost said – that “secured” it to his wrist – ha!), broke off and the watch was never seen again.
I recently enjoyed summer camp with 65 of my favorite middle and high school students. There was a pond at the camp and some fantastic water sports to enjoy. There was an inflated, floating “iceberg” that had a climbing wall on one side, and a slide down the other. There were kayaks, a swimming area, and a platform with giant rope swings. One of the leaders who was making a vlog to document the week thought it would be such a fun idea to swing off the rope swing while wearing a GoPro camera. It WAS a fun idea. Sadly, the strap could not withstand the water landing. It broke and the camera drifted to the bottom of the pond. Several folks got together, including one very determined GoPro owner, and they formulated a plan to swim down to the bottom to try to rescue the camera. The water clarity did not allow more than about a foot of visibility, much less the 15 feet or so to the bottom.
After making sure that safety was their priority 😉, the search began. The first dive took place. A few seconds later a triumphant hand emerged with…NOT the GoPro. BUT they had found an Apple watch with a broken strap! A second dive commenced. Again, a triumphant hand led the way out of the water. Again, no GoPro, but ANOTHER Apple watch with a broken strap! The third dive…another triumphant hand emerged from the water. This time it was a true triumph…the GoPro camera with a wonky strap!! The GoPro and one of the Apple watches had survived the dunking ordeal. We found out later from an elated watch owner that he had lost it in the pond one month prior to it being found! The other watch had not been so lucky.
There was much celebration for the found treasures. And a little strutting by the one who recovered the goods. He had been determined, persistent, and victorious.
It made me think of the beautiful treasure of salvation that we have as believers in Jesus. Our eternal destiny is secure. We are promised heaven with Him where there is no death, mourning, or pain (Revelation 21:4). That is a priceless gift! But sometimes the straps that hold that treasure in our minds are more fragile than we like to admit. The force of life comes against us and we can lose our tight grip on the promise that we have. We see life through a distorted and low-visibility lens. We may even get lost for a while.
But thanks be to God who doesn’t let us drift on our own. He pursues us with the unquenchable love that He has for us. David, a shepherd-become-king man who completely understood God’s love for Him, patience with Him, and persistence in pursuing him penned these words in Psalm 139:
7 Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
9 If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
Jesus is determined, persistent, and He is victorious over any sin or thing that can pull us down into troubled waters that lead away from Him. There is no slimy bottom that He can’t rescue us from.
Look up my friend, the Savior is pursuing us! He can set us free from the bottom of the pond! And according to Matthew 18:12-14, He rejoices over us when we return to Him!
