It was a warm day in July when Jim took his two friends, seven-year-old Roger and his 17-year-old sister Deanne, for a motor boat ride on the Niagara River. The quiet water five miles upstream from Niagara Falls was perfect for the small boat with its small outboard motor. The two Woodward children thoroughly enjoyed the river and the boat. They did not like the life vests they had to wear, but they had promised their father that they would wear them all the time, so they kept them on.
Jim decided to go downstream just below one of the electric generating plants where the water was also quiet. Although the water appeared calm, Jim had underestimated the strength of the current. When he turned the boat around to head back, he found that he had passed the “point of no return” for his small boat and motor. He quickly discovered that instead of going upstream, they were being carried slowly downstream toward the falls. Soon they were in the swirling rapids. Then the motor stopped and the boat capsized, throwing the three of them into the water.
Deanne saw Roger and Jim being swept along in the current ahead. She was a strong swimmer and swam toward the shore of Goat Island where crowds of people had gathered and were watching the horrifying scene. Deanne was only a few feet from shore, but still she was being swept toward the falls. A man on shore climbed over the guardrail and was able to catch her outstretched hand only 15 feet from the 162-foot high falls. Another man helped, and they pulled Deanne to safety.
Meanwhile, Jim had grasped little Roger, telling him, “Don’t be scared — I’ll hold you!” But the swirling waters tore them apart and both were swept over the falls and lost from view in the spray and torrents below.
Jim was killed on the rocks at the base of the falls. Roger fell beyond the rocks into the water. Down, down under the water he was driven from the fall, but because of his life vest, he came up again fast. Moments later the captain of the excursion boat “Maid of the Mist” saw him and was able to throw a life ring out to him. After three tries the ring went close enough to Roger so he could grab it, and he was pulled to safety.
Other than a few bruises, neither Roger nor Deanne had any injuries from their awful experience. They were thankful that they had obeyed their father and worn their life vests. Jim did not have one on.
There is no doubt that what helped keep both Roger and Deanne safe was obedience to their father in wearing their life vests. They really didn’t want to wear them, but their father knew what was best. The Bible says, “He that [loves] his life shall lose it; and he that [hates] his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal” (John 12:2525He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. (John 12:25)). If they had decided to “love” their freedom to do their own will, Roger and Deanne would have lost their lives. I hope you have chosen to love what God says to do, which is to choose eternal life by believing in the Lord Jesus. Then you will be safe from eternal death. If you decide to love life in this world more than life in that eternal world, you will lose your life in hell forever.
Messages of God’s Love 3/19/2023