Anybody who knows me knows I don't do water well. When others swim or float, I flail and sink. Body surf, I body sink. Tread water, I pedal to the bottom. And when faced with an audience of children, only make things worse.
In 1975 I visited my friend Brennan in Santa Monica, from NJ. We decided to go to a nude beach, near Zuma, for the obvious reasons. After surveying the territory, you begin to understand why God made clothes-some people's bodies need to be covered more than others. But also noticing the amount of girls there alone, I decided to make my move. I would show off what a great body surfer I was. Catching a few waves, I was the Big Kahuna-at least in my own mind, while Brennan sat on a towel making semi-nude conversation. Then the big one hit, and I don't remember much, or how much ocean I swallowed, but remember landing on shore, wrapped in seaweed, and puking my guts out. For about a half hour, with Brennan somewhere between concerned for me, but more concerned I had ruined his chance with the girls. He didn't even have ask, "do you have a girlfriend for my friend," it seems nothing is less appealing to a California girl than a pasty white, Jersey boy puking up saltwater, while wrapped in seaweed-naked. Next time I'll change my opening line. And what I can't understand is I had even waited 45 minutes after eating before I went swimming!
We all know the story of Jonah and the whale. In my mind it was always like Pinocchio and Jiminy in the whale's stomach, with a light hanging, and benches to sit on. But Jonah describes it different, and for the three days and three nights he was in the belly, it must have been scary, to say the least. Did you ever wake up and not know where you are? Jonah did. The last thing he remembered was sinking to the bottom of the Mediterranean, wrapped in seaweed, and then waking up-not knowing where he was-or even if he was alive.
He had disobeyed God, and didn't realize how God had sent a whale to swallow him and save his life. He was in a very dark place, probably very hot, a whale's body temperature is about a hundred degrees, it had to stink, and the stomach juices would be eating at his skin. It is possible he thought he was dead and in hell. And after three days, he repents and turns again to God, who was with him all the time. Not mad, but wanting Jonah to repent. And then He has the whale spit him up onto dry land-perhaps the world's longest vomit/loogee, as Nineveh was 375 miles from the sea.
It has been recorded that men have lived after being swallowed by whales. One ship's log recorded how the man had no problem breathing, but had passed out from fear. Ever been so scared you fainted? Or so bummed all you wanted to do was sleep? And when he was cut out of the whale's stomach, he was white-even his eyebrows and hair had been burned off from the digestive juices. Just an idea of what Jonah looked like when he escaped.
It is never a good idea to run from God. How do you escape someone who is omni-present? But God sticks with us, and wants us to return to Him, that is why He sent Jesus to die for our sins. You may not be in the belly of a whale, or wrapped in seaweed on a nude beach, but in every situation you need Jesus.
I didn't care where my next breath came from, I only wanted it to come. And God supplies them. And not only saved my life that day, and taught me a thing or two about body surfing, but a week later saved my soul-I came that close to dying and going to hell. Don't make the same mistake! Trust God now.
And as for beach baptisms, I watch from shore, with my clothes on. Just can't trust seaweed, I guess. But I can trust God! And when the ocean waves-I just wave back. Safe and saved.
To go riding.
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com