A CROATION MOMENT
This Summer Rick and I, with both Harry and Rachel , had a wonderful, and
very hot, holiday in Croatia. The Hotel was on the water front and therefore the beach was only a few
metres from our room.
Because of the extreme heat (39 c) we spent a lot of time in the sea cooling
off.
I love to “people watch”, ( or perhaps I am just nosey) and so it was that I
noticed a man with his small child on the beach. This in itself would not be
of interest, except that this father was so patient and attentive to his little girl.
She obviously loved swimming and she spent most of the day practising her
strokes.
Her Father stood and watched her from the shore for hours. He did not
complain or get distracted, He just watched her.
She dutifully wore her sun hat which he insisted upon, and swam backwards
and forwards. Sometimes when she was swimming away from him she would just call ”Papa”
and he would reply to reassure her that he was there.
Once in a while the father would wade over to his daughter and play with
her, which would make her laugh.
It was a beautiful insight into a relationship- a picture of a father’s
love.
It reminded me of our relationship with God our Heavenly father.
Whilst we struggle to swim in this life, perhaps learning new skills, or
just our usual day to day activities, our Heavenly Father is keeping watch
over his loved ones.
( Psalm 33 v 18- But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on
those whose hope is in his unfailing love)
We can call to Him at any time, and if we listen we will hear his voice.
But he wants us to be strong in him-knowing that He is with us and that we
are not on our own. But he does not always make things easy and take us out
of the struggle- He wants us to learn to swim, so to speak.
He smiles at us whilst we grow and he enjoys being with us.
At the end of the day the father on the beach took his little girl, dried
her, and then took her home. We also know that as Christians one day, at the
end of our lives, our Heavenly Father will also take us home- what a
wonderful day that will be! Katie Warner