You and your bride are walking beside the Oahe Reservoir talking about how great your life has been together over the last 42 years and thinking about what your future looks like?
And then. . .
With out much notice you look to the east and this huge cloud of fire and smoke is racing across the prairie towards you.
What are you going to do? Fire to the east racing towards you and water to the west. To the north and south is no safe escape route. Just a narrow, rocky, shore line, much too treacherous for running. And neither of you are fast runners.
So now what?
Easy right? Jump in the water! Swim away from the fire.
After all fire and water are natural enemies!
And your wife is a born swimmer. Grew up on the water and learned to swim in PE in school.
But. . .
You are farm hand, when you weren’t in school you were working.
So. . .
You don’t know how to swim! You get scared swimming around in a pool with lifeguards and every possible type of life saving device.
You don’t even take a bath very often although a daily shower helps keep you from smelling like you never bathe.
So???? What are you gonna do?
Death by fire? Or death by water?
‘For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. ‘3 Romans 14:8
Me, I say a prayer and jump in Lake Oahe. After all we are saved by water and the Word of God in Baptism, but we are tormented in eternity by Hell’s fire. And a long time ago, God chose me to be His adopted Son, so whether I live or whether I die it is for God’s glory.
Water or fire what would you choose?
Photo by Mandy Beerley on Unsplash