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TRUST JESUS TODAY

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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: GAMBLE (04/14/16)
They had drifted too far. He had to try to make it back to shore to find help, but how would he leave his five-year-old daughter? There was no way they would make it if he took her with him, and only a small chance he would make it alone. But it was the only choice he had. Staying would mean certain death for them both.

"Honey, I'm going to go get us some help. Daddy needs you to be patient and wait here. Can you do that?"

"Yes, sir."

"Now, listen carefully. It's going to seem like a very long time, but I will be back. Do you hear me?" A soft sun-bleached curl brushed his cheek as he kissed her salty forehead. "Just remember Someone's watching over you. He's always with you . . ."

"I know-- God." She forced a brave smile. "I'll be okay, Daddy."

"I love you, Munchkin."

"I love you, too, Daddy."

I'm intrigued about what that little girl thought as she waited hour after hour after hour, bobbing in the waves, a tiny speck in an endless ocean. Did she wonder if her dad had made it to shore? Was she tempted to take a chance and swim after him? Did she fight against the fear that hungry sharks might be lurking nearby? The only thing I do know is that she obeyed her father's word. She trusted the one who had told her to stay more than she feared her circumstances.

Maybe you're in a difficult place today, but you know your Father is asking you to stay, to wait for Him to do His work. Faith can seem like a gamble when you're bobbing in unknown waters. Frustration and fear can tempt you to give up and take a chance on your own plan. It takes a lot of patience and restraint to stay put in the middle of a situation filled with far more questions than answers. But although circumstances and seasons of life constantly change, the One Who directs does not.

The young girl's father told her to wait for him, and she waited. He told her he would come back, and yes, he did come back, and they were rescued. May the Father give you and all of us grace to exercise patience and restraint while waiting in obedience for Him to work in the unsettling unknowns of life.


"And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises." Hebrews 6:11-12 KJV
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Member Comments
Member
Date
C D Swanson 
04/22/16
Beautiful and touching message with great writing.

Blessings~
Noel Mitaxa 
04/24/16
Strong parallel between your story and our need to trust God when we can't see where he will come from or when he will appear. Well done.
Shann Hall-LochmannVanBennekom 
04/27/16
This is a great story. There is a wonderful parallel between our faith and the story. For me, the sudden POV shift jarred me a bit. I got the message through the delightful way you set up the story and don't think you needed to shift from the daughterand father to telling the story in the first person, but that's strictly a personal preference. I think you did an excellent job of tackling the story in a fresh and innovative way. Your message is a profound one too and really touched my heart.
Shann Hall-LochmannVanBennekom 
04/29/16
Congratulations on ranking 14 overall. Happy Dance!
Holly Westefeld
05/15/16
I enjoyed this excellent devotional, with a reminder that we all need. You drew me in with the well-chosen metaphor.
Anne Warden 
05/26/16
Excellent devotional and a great way to approach the topic.

One spot of red ink. In switching from the father-daughter dialogue to your narrative, rather than 'I'm intrigued ...', perhaps you could write, 'Are you intrigued ...'

Keep up the creative way of writing.