“Dad, there’s somebody in the water!” screamed Kara.
Frank Kennedy spun around and saw a woman being swept down the Niagara River, about 30 feet from the falls. Without hesitating, he bolted over the metal railing and ran to a spot at the river’s edge where he thought he could reach out and grab the woman. As she swept by, he reached out, but he missed her!
The Kennedy family had left early that June morning to return to their home in Pennsylvania. With relatives in Toronto, they had gone to visit Niagara Falls many times before, but Scott wanted to see them again. So Frank and his wife decided they would stop once more for a short visit.
They were walking on a pathway leading to the railing that overlooked the American Falls when Kara spotted the helpless woman in the swift current of the river. Where Frank first tried to grab her was only 15 feet from the falls. When he missed, she disappeared behind a bush, and Frank feared that she had gone over the crest.
As he rounded the bush, he saw her again just as she lost her grip on the bush she had grabbed. She was grasping at rocks as she continued to be swept along in the 23-mile-per-hour current. Frank instantly jumped onto a rock, braced himself and reached out. He yelled to the woman to grab his arm, and she did. They both held on as tightly as they could, but Frank could not pull her over to the bank. They were only five feet from the crest of the falls, and the strong force of the current kept pulling her away. In Frank’s words, “I couldn’t move her.”
What a frightening spot to be in. We might find it hard to imagine what it was like for that woman to be so close to death. And yet this could well be your story too. You may think you are standing on safe ground. But does anyone know that he or she will be alive tomorrow? And if you should not live until tomorrow, what about your sins? Have they been forgiven? If not, the Bible warns in Revelation 20:1515And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15) what will happen to those who die in their sins: “Whosoever was not found written in [God’s] book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” You may be as close to death as being just five feet from the crest of Niagara Falls.
Help came for Frank and the woman desperately fighting to save her life. Four people quickly grabbed Frank to prevent him from being pulled into the water. Then together the five of them were able to pull the woman up onto the bank.
There is help waiting for you too. The Lord Jesus Christ cares very much about you, and He is waiting right now to forgive your sins and give you the peace of knowing that your name will be in God’s book of life. Are you willing to admit to Him that you are a sinner and need His forgiveness? “In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:1414In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: (Colossians 1:14)).
His offer of forgiveness is that close for you. Will you reach for it and accept His forgiveness?
ML-07/29/2018