Rip Tide

I paced, feeling panicked as I watched from the balcony. About 15 yards out in the Gulf, they were on boogie boards kicking hard...and going nowhere. The waves were relentless as they pounded the shore. They had to know the red flag was up, that they shouldn't be in the water. But there they were, caught in a rip current.

I watched as Mike, my son-in-law, was pulled toward deeper water. My son, CJ, began to kick parallel to the beach. He broke out of the current. Thoughts of losing either of them began to surface. A knot of fear gripped my gut.

"What the heck are they doing out there?!?"

CJ turned and headed out toward Mike, who was now about 20 yards away. I couldn't watch any longer. I went back inside vocalizing my fear - of which I will spare you the detail. In all our trips to Florida, we have never had a situation like this arise. By the time I headed out on the boardwalk, they were back on shore.

Mike isn't ashamed to admit that being at the mercy of the current was, "the most scared I've ever been in my life!" He had no control over the force of the water. Being a Midwesterner, he didn't know what a rip tide is or how to get out of one. When CJ paddled back to Mike, he could see the panic on Mike's face.

"Just relax, Mike. Don't try to fight it. You'll be okay."

It took me a while to get over the panic I felt as I watched them in peril that day. I'm certain I wasn't the only family member who wanted to give them both a square kick in the pants for going out in the first place.

Reflecting back, I see a familiar pattern. From time to time conditions have been such in my life that the seas got rough and I found myself in a rip tide of circumstances over which I had no control. I watched as the safety of shore moved further and further away. I panicked; my resistance leaving me weak without moving me any closer to solid ground. Family and friends watched helplessly from the safety of the shore, loving me, wanting to help, but ultimately couldn't. I had to work through the current myself.

Rip tides of trials come in many forms; mental or physical illness, loss of relationship, a spouse, a child. They come in the form of addiction, unfairness, and offense. They are the "negative" things in this life over which we have no control.

But, peace can be found in the midst of trials. It is found when I stop resisting the force of the circumstance; when I cease kicking against the tide and allow it's force to work a deeper degree of faith in my soul. Eventually, I will be released.

Oh, and yeah. CJ went back into the water, got caught a.gain, then made it back to shore just before the lifeguard came by to tell everyone the beach was closed. The double red flag was raised.

I'm getting too old for this.

*More info about rip tides can be found here: http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/hurr/damg/rip.rxml