The Storm (edited)

The waves washed over the side of my little
boat. Time, and time again. I bailed water to
no avail. As the water filled my boat, my soul
cried out in agony for I knew all was lost. In my
despair I cried out to god, "Lord save me;
though I don't deserve it.

I bring my transgressions before you, I ask in
humility for forgiveness." As the waves wept
over me for the last time... I cried in a silent
prayer. "Receive me unto your house lord."
Everything went black and I knew what death
was. When I awoke, I found my self on a
beach all alone.

I began to dance and sing. There was joy in
my heart, but it was not in thanksgiving
to the Lord, but to my great "luck". As I rejoiced
in myself, I looked up to find a man like none I
had ever seen standing before me. With eyes
full of love and kindness and his voice full of
compassion, yet stern, He said, " how soon
you have forgotten what I have done for you.

Already you have forgotten how I saved you,
yet you refuse to believe. Would you have me
put you where I found you lost in despair and
at the point of death? I have helped you
through countless dangers, yet you still do not
believe." with that He disappeared.

I now alone to ponder my thoughts and think
over what the man had said. There was a
new weight on my shoulders; it is called as
despair and sin. The last words He had
said, "You still do not believe", would echo in
my ears for as long as I live.

As I sat there thinking, I saw in the dirt at my
feet, half buried in the sand, a book. When I
pull it out of the sand, I saw a bookmarker in it.
I turned to the page and on this page, there
were words, "I have told you these things, so
that you may have peace. In this world, you will
have to have trouble. Nevertheless, take heart!
I have overcome the world.

" I was so intrigued, that I continued to read
passages that I had memorized in church
such as; John 3:16, Romans 3:23, Ephesians
2:8-9, and so on. While I read my interest in
the bible grew so much that I read the whole
New Testament and did not notice the time go
by. As I read these and other passages, I wept
for I knew I had fallen astray. How could God
forgive me?

I asked for forgiveness; then I had returned to
the sin that had crept into my life just as if
nothing had happened between god and my
self. I cried out in a loud voice with my face
and heart pointed to the heavens." O' God,
please forgive me, a sheep gone astray to
wander my own way." when I said this, the
weight that was on my shoulders was lifted.

I saw everything different. In the sky that had
been dark with storm clouds, I could see a
golden city, and standing before the gates
was the man whom I saw when first came to
this
Island. He stood there with arms open wide
ready to receive me as his own child. My Lord
and my God I cried and ran to him weeping in
joy. "Welcome home my child", He said.