This is a blog I have put off writing, the main reason being that I didn’t want to tell my parents about this occurrence. How could I tell my parents that I almost died?
Way back on New Year’s Eve my teammate, Erica, and I were swimming in the Pacific Ocean in Nicaragua with some other racers. The waves in Nica were INTENSE, but so beautiful. It was one of the most beautiful places I have seen when the sun was setting. We were swimming earlier in the day and we all started swimming back towards shore because we could feel the tide getting rougher.
Somehow everyone was able to make it back in except for a squadmate and I. The waves looked like sky scrapers to us; we were swimming so hard but were not moving. We kept getting sucked out further. We could barely catch our breath before another wave crashed on us and flipped us around under the water. It got to a point where our bodies could not fight any more, our lungs could not take the trauma.
I was at a point of desperation. I remember being twisted under the water, being so far from the top and so far from the bottom. You could have filmed me as a stunt double for the movie Blue Crush. I thought about how I was going to tell my mom about this (I knew I was going to be able to tell her, I somehow knew I was not going to die. I was more worried about my squadmate). While I was under I kept thinking about how I would pass out if I did not get air soon, I was panicking under the water and imagining taking my last breath of not air but water. I prayed to God “PLEASE GOD BRING ME TO THE TOP! I CANT DO THIS! I AM GOING TO DIE!” Once I prayed this I was somehow lifted to the top of the water and breathed the most fantastic breath I have ever taken. Moments later I was able to touch the ground; I cannot tell you how good it is to stand on a firm foundation! I immediately knew I was safe. God saved my life again that day!
Some of you may feel like you are drowning, but let me tell you that the foundation I felt in the ocean is less solid than the foundation that the Lord has for you in Heaven. Stop fighting to live and drowning in what the world has to offer you. God has a place in heaven for you and once you step on that foundation you are forever safe and loved.
Some of you may be asking about what happened to my squadmate. She is alive too, hakuna matata! She was out further than me and literally saw her life flash before her eyes. She seriously thought she was dead. She prayed to God for the waves to stop crashing because she knew that one more wave would have been the end. Instantly the waves stopped (around the same time I felt the ground) and she was able to doggie paddle until a racer came and helped her to shore. Our God saves our lives every day!
Exodus 14:13-14
