the one where I almost died. really. (part 2)

This is a continuation from yesterday's post.  For the full story, you'll have to read that first!

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So, there I was... grasping with all my strength to the rock, losing my battle with the current, and trying not to look at the deathly terrifying sight below.

Much to my relief, within what was probably just a matter of seconds (although to me it seemed much longer of course), I saw my salvation.  Two boys from our group, Aaron and Brian, had made their way to the rock that I was clinging to.  There were other large rocks leading from the shore to my rock, so they were able to hop across those and make it to me in time.  One of them pulled me out while the other one rescued my canoe.

I was saved.

And it's a good thing.  A few days later when we arrived back at the outfitters, we mentioned the incident and the guide informed us that once a canoe had gone down those falls and wrapped itself around one of the boulders like a piece of aluminum foil, where it remained for several years.

That could have been me were not for Aaron and Brian.

You know, I've thought about this story a lot and how it is so similar to life.

The current in the seemingly peaceful lake is like the sin in our lives that, try as we can, we all get caught in and cannot escape.  It's leading us to the rocky waterfall that is our certain death.

We see the rock and grasp onto that for safety.  I used to think the rock in this story was like Christ, but I was dead wrong.  You see, the rock didn't save me.  I was using my own strength to cling onto that rock, which is what many of us do in our own lives.  We realize that we're sinners.  It's obvious, isn't it, that we all mess up?  None of us is perfect.  So we try with all our might to cling onto our "good deeds" and trust those to save us.  We go to church every Sunday, we give to the needy, we act like perfect "Christians."  Those things aren't wrong, but the problem is that we can't hold onto that forever.  The current of sin is too strong and we're bound to fail.  The rock of good works is slippery and eventually we will all slip off and fall to our eternal death.

No, my true salvation in this story was the boy who pulled me out.  All I had to do was reach for him, putting my faith in him to save me, and he was there to rescue me from my despair.  How silly it would've been for me to deny his help and tell him I was fine holding onto my rock.  But so many of us do that.  We tell God that we don't need his salvation, we're "good enough" and can make it just fine on our own.

It would be a better parallel if my rescuer had to give his own life to save mine.  And a terrible death at that.  Which is exactly what Christ did for us.  He saw we were headed to our certain death (yes, I mean hell) and the only way to rescue us was to give His own life for ours.  His own perfect, holy life.  All we have to do is put our faith in Him alone to rescue us.  Nothing we could EVER do on our own can save us.

We need Him.

So, sorry to be so "preachy," but I guess I shouldn't apologize for just wanting you to rethink where you stand.  It's the single most important decision you'll ever make.  It effects your eternity.

Are you clinging onto your own good deeds, hoping they will save you?  Or have you reached out for your one true Savior who loves you enough to give His own life for yours?

I beg you... reach out for your Rescuer.

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son.  That whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life." - John 3:16