Ever have a poignant dream?
Last night I dreamed that goons threw a guy off a boat that had a rusty old iron ball welded to a short chain that was shackled to his ankle. Down he went and the boat sped off. However, when the man tried swimming up, he could just get head above water. He was elated to realize he had been thrown out right over a sand bar.
Since the tide was going out, he was soon standing on the sand bar, which stretched back toward the shore. He couldn't believe it! He tried to unchain the shackle, but it was stuck fast. However, while he was reaching around, he caught a fish and ate it. He waved at an airplane to rescue him to no avail. He actually enjoyed seeing several schools of bright fish.
He stayed occupied in great relief for hours. What he forgot to notice was that the tide started to come back in. Yet, he continued to ignore it. When the water got to his waist, he began to panic, but it was too late. He floated and couldn't move the heavy iron ball but a couple of inches at a time. Soon, the tide came up over his head and he drowned.
Rather than move the ball when he had the opportunity, he became distracted. It would have taken all the time between tides to move the heavy ball down the sand bar to the shore. Had he focused on the hard work, he would have survived.
The world is full of great opportunities, but which ones are the right ones? What is your priority?
--Mark Snowden, director, Cincinnati Area Baptist Association
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