August 18, 2006- Don’t give in to your fears!
Do the thing you fear and the death of fear is certain.
Biblical text: Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV).
On a summer morning as he was fixing his breakfast, Ray Blankenship looked out his window to see a young girl being swept along in the rain flooded drainage ditch beside his Ohio home. Blankenship knew that farther downstream, the ditch disappeared with a roar underneath the road and then emptied into the main culvert.
Ray dashed from his home and raced along the ditch, trying to get ahead of the flailing child. Finally, he hurled himself into the deep, churning water. When he surfaced, he was able to grab the girl’s arm. The two tumbled end over end and then, within about three feet of the yawning culvert, Ray’s free hand felt something protrude from the bank. He clung to it desperately, the tremendous force of the water trying to tear him and the child away.
By the time fire department rescuers arrived, Blankenship amazingly had pulled the girl to safety. Both were treated for shock. In that heroic moment, Ray Blankenship was at even greater risk than most people knew … since … Ray couldn’t swim.
Today, let your courage respond to needs that you see, not to the fear you may feel.
© Australasian Conference Association Limited
