Some
years ago, on a hot summer day in south Florida, a
little boy decided to go for a swim in the old
swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry to dive
into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving
behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went.
He flew
into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward
the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming
toward the shore. His father working in the yard saw
the two as they got closer and closer together.
In
utter fear, he ran toward the water, yelling to his
son as loudly as he could. Hearing his voice, the
little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to
his father. It was too late.
Just as
he reached his father, the alligator reached him. From
the dock, the father grabbed his little boy by the
arms just as the alligator snatched his legs.
That
began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The
alligator was much stronger than the father, but the
father was much too passionate to let go. A farmer
happened to drive by, heard his screams, raced from
his truck, took aim and shot the alligator.
Remarkably,
after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy
survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the
vicious attack of the animal. And, on his arms, were
deep scratches where his father's fingernails dug into
his flesh in his effort to hang on to the son he
loved.
The
newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy after the
trauma, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy
lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious pride, he
said to the reporter; "But look at my arms. I
have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because
my Dad wouldn't let go."
You and
I can identify with that little boy. We have scars,
too. No, not from an alligator, but the scars of a
painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and
have caused us deep regret. But, some wounds, my
friend, are because God has refused to let go. In the
midst of your struggle, He's been there holding on to
you.
The
Scripture teaches that God loves you. You are a child
of God. He wants to protect you and provide for you in
every way. But sometimes we foolishly wade into
dangerous situations, not knowing what lies ahead.
The
swimming hole of life is filled with peril - and we
forget that the enemy is waiting to attack. That's
when the tug-of-war begins - and if you have the scars
of His love on your arms, be very, very grateful. He
did not and will not ever let you go.
Never judge another persons scars, because you don't
know how they got them. Also, it is soooo important
that we are not selfish, to receive the blessings of
these messages, without forwarding them to someone
else.
Right now, someone needs to know that God loves them,
and you love them, too, enough to not let them go.
Author Unknown
