Gratitude.....

The day was pleasantly hot and I was swimming off my favourite Silver Beach, near where I live.
(I'll let you into a secret..... I actually 'own' that beach in my own mind and 'allow' lots of people to enjoy it too. I sometimes have the silly impression that others paddling in the shallow waves feel ownership too!)

My real pleasure is diving under the toppling white headed waves. I adore the thrum of the crashing water over my back and down my legs. It is the only moment that I am entirely able to forget who I am and what is expected of me.
It is my idea of unmitigated pleasure......total abandon.

A fair distance along the beach away from the designated swimming area, is the launching place for fishing boats. It is exciting to watch, even breathtaking when the surf is up and the waves look too big for safety. The skippers have to have special licences and in years and years I've never seen a launch go wrong.

So there I am on this particular blue sky, warm day having the time of my life, without a care in the world feeling the foam froth and fizz around my face. I'm in my seventh heaven actually, managing without any effort to 'live in the moment.......sheer bliss.

As I come up from under a wave and brush the water out of my eyes, my heart constricts with TERROR.

A large fishing boat is roaring towards me. I panic and try to back pedal towards the beach but the tide has me in its firm grip and I watch horrified as it skims sideways within arm's reach of where I am. I see, up close and personal the rigid faces of three men who are desperately leaning their weight backwards in an attempt to turn the boat away from me, away from the shore. There is no time to even scream before it beaches itself in an unplanned move a few metres from me. There is an almighty thump of it landing on the hard wet sand and a crunch as a section of it is ripped apart. The two big outboard motors flail helplessly in the air. The propellers spin to a slow stop.

The world stops. The magic of the waves is lost.I stagger, half falling with the terrible shock I've just experienced. I have narrowly escaped with my life. An extra push of the wave and I would have been under the bulky boat mashed mercilessly into the sand.
A passing beach walker takes compassion on me and touches my arm sympathetically. We are both wordless with the wonder that I am unhurt. We stare at the three men who are equally befuddled and bemused. They are too shocked to make eye contact with me, let alone ask how I am. We watch them mindlessly start collecting their fishing rods, reels and sandwich boxes that have been vomited onto the sand before the boat crashed onto its keel........damaged beyond repair.

The woman murmurs to me and gradually I am soothed enough to tell her that I am okay thank you and that I will just go home. I remember to pick up my beach bag and wander to the lagoon behind me where earlier I left my kayak. On automatic pilot I drag it into the water, climb aboard and start rowing homeward.
I live in a house right on the edge of this estuary and aim for home without thinking very clearly. Tears of shock begin to ooze down my face and suddenly I want to tell someone of my ordeal......I feel overwhelmed.......... simply DREADFUL.
I give myself over to self pity and I throw back my head to almost howl.

And then I see it.

Far above my head is a dark shape. My eyes focus as the tears falter to a stop. The sun outlines the zigzagged outline of an eagle's feathers. It is the Fish eagle that occasionally comes to try his luck in our estuary. With his primeval call of Africa he shrieks to his mate from his lofty height and she soars to join him.

My misery becomes delight.

I
Image Source (www.Pixabay.com)

I recall the words of the prophet Isaiah 40
"Those who trust in the Lord will soar on wings of eagles. They shall walk and not stumble, they shall run and not grow weary."
The burden that I had wrapped myself in fell away effortlessly as the pair of eagles rose and fell on the air currents. I let the oar rest and from my floating island of refuge I found solace and peace that buoyed me up into an ecstasy that I'd never experienced before.

I did phone my sister to tell her of my 'adventure' but it was with exaggerated drama and mock horror and she laughed as I intended her to. Mostly with relief that I had survived.

Indeed I re learned the value of trusting the Lord my God that day ........... a lesson that stands me in good stead as the every day trials of life ebb and flow as timelessly as the tides.