Saturday was my last shift as a lifeguard, and I’m not sure how to feel about it.
I walked into lifeguarding with a lot of expectations–fueled by glimpses of Bay Watch and many, many observations of The Sandlot’s Wendy Peffercorn (where was her seal-EZ, by the way…?). After these five months, I wouldn’t say it was nothing like I expected, but I will say I was surprised. I was surprised at myself, at the demands of this job, at the feeling of responsibility weighing in on my shoulders each and every day. But I settled into this role and its rhythms as I counted “one one-thousand, two one-thousand, breath,” again and again and again.
So now here I am, on the other side of countless hours training, practicing, testing, and scanning. And I know this much: I can tell you how to save a life, no problem. As far as Ellis and my license goes, the mechanics are simple, the rules are specific, our roles are clear. When it comes to saving a soul, though, I’m gonna go ahead and leave that to the true professional.
Reflecting on this job has made me think about how Jesus saved people, each and every day. He saved strangers and outcasts and people suffering from unimaginable kinds of hurt. And I wonder how He felt when He was doing it. I really doubt He reached for an oxygen tank with shaky hands. I am almost sure He didn’t blow three blasts on a plastic whistle or think about where the nearest trauma bag was. He didn’t stress about whether or not He would be enough. And He didn’t have to, because there are some very, very key differences between me and Jesus.
I am flawed. I am so very, blatantly, irreparably flawed. And He is perfect.
Jesus wasn’t taught how to do this stuff. I sat in class listening to a teacher. Jesus is a teacher. Not only that, but He’s the material. He is the answer to questions 1 through infinity. Now aren’t you wishing every multiple choice question came with option (A) Jesus?
I’m fulfilling a job requirement. Jesus was fulfilling a prophecy. If you can find somewhere in the bible where the prophets foretell the days of picking up a VAT or tightening a child’s lifejacket, please let me know, and drop the reference in the comment box. Jesus’ act of Salvation was not random, nor was it mundane in any way. He changed everything when He became everything. And I’ve spent the last few weeks just trying to get through the last hour of my shift.
I know it sounds silly, but I find myself struggling to recognize these differences and to remember them, each and every day. Whether you’re a lifeguard or not, you are constantly making choices that affect the lives and wellbeing of those around you. And when those things go our way, when that new friend decides to come to church, or when we stopped an emergency before it happened, we tend to give ourselves the glory. But Jesus is the one who was doing all the work.
It took me about 3 days to learn how to save a life–and to earn a license that says so. But man, does He do so much more than that. He heals our bodies. He saves our souls. He pleads our causes. And He doesn’t even have to do IST (in-service training) at 6 in the morning! Jesus is and continues to be our Savior, and I’m putting my tube down. I’m scanning off, ready to let Him do what He does best.
