The folks who live and vacation on Long Island Sound spend a great deal of their time on the water. Competitions under sail are frequent, and numbered among the sailors are a great many youngsters. Not too long ago during a competition for children, over 113 small craft were caught out on the sound in a sudden and violent squall. More than half the small sailing boats capsized in the boiling water. Turbulent winds and 5 foot waves scattered the small craft in all directions over a 2 mile area of the open sound, and yet, there was no loss of life. You see all the youngsters stayed with their craft. They had learned well the lessons of water safety that their capsized boat would float even when filled with water. They stayed with their boats and were rescued. When I read this it occurred to me there was a great lesson for living in this story. Everyone has to have someone or something to hang onto when the storms of life start to dish out their worst. Perhaps it's a loved one, maybe a trusted friend to whom we can cling when the going gets hard. It may be your faith in God to which you cling when the waves of life get high and violent. It may even be faith in yourself that sustains you in times of stress, but one thing is certain, when the squalls hit, you need someone or something to hang onto until you get out of the deep waters. It is only when you let go, when you no longer want or will no longer accept the help that is all around you, that you slip into the black waters and drown. If you are being tossed about on the turbulent waters of life right now, if your boat has overturned, just hang on and reach for the many hands that are outstretched to help you. They are there for you to grasp if you'll but see them… if you'll but reach out and accept the help, comfort, peace and serenity which they offer.
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