“Use your daisy chain.” James called to Carli. Hanging from the side of a tall mountain, the girl who is never afraid, was. The rest of us sat below laughing and talking ,unaware of her situation. Hope was climbing up fast on the mountain side next to her. About halfway up , Hope got scared. Carli called out to Hope to keep going.” you got this!” she would say. With those encouraging words Hope made it to the top. I loved that even though we were far below we could see Hope s big smile. Hope repelled safely down, while Carli turned to face her fears. Hanging by that short rope, her daisy chain, she would not be secured by the person on belay. Back on the ground I listened to her explain what was going on up there.I thought of how heroic she is because when she thought she might fall to her death, she looked down and saw Hope in need. Even when her own strength was faltering, she was strengthening another. It touched me deeply, I thought of that experience again this morning when I read the tragic account of a young man who killed himself. The high school seniors girlfriend, age 18, encouraged him in a much different way. He told her of his plans to end his life. She sent texts encouraging him to follow through with it. “”You can’t think about it. You just have to do it. You said you were gonna do it. Like I don’t get why you aren’t.” During his suicide he decided against it and called her for help. This was the response..as she told her friend ;” I was on the phone with him and he got out of the car because it was working and he got scared and I (expletive) told him to get back in.” A voice over 50 miles away who could’ve saved a life, used her words to silence one.
My first meet as a swim coach I had high hopes for my team. It was early in the morning on a foggy day. I had a special interest in our youngest team member Drew. At 6 years old this would be his first race. After months of training and hundreds of hours in the pool he was ready. The whistle blew. He dove in perfectly. I got off the bleachers to stand at the end of the pool where he would finish. Halfway down the lane, he began doggy paddling. His head barley above the water and crying he said “I cant go anymore!” I dropped my clipboard and jumped in. Fully clothed I swam fast to his side. While treading water I said”You can do this! come on, lets finish the race together”. Little Drew put his head back in the water and with all the strength he had left he put one arm out and began to kick. We put our hands on the edge of the pool side by side.” you did it ! I shouted.” I knew you could! you finished the race!” Then I pulled him out of the water and into my arms. I don’t remember much of the hundreds of other meets I attended as a coach. I remember that one as if it was yesterday.
I know we are being beaten down by the winds of evil swirling around us. I know there is a constant barrage of temptation. The mists of darkness are increasing in thickness and proximity. Men’s and women’s hearts are failing all around us. Yet, I see a brother or sister ,a friend, our husband or a parent, grandparent, who need our encouragement. We can offer words of kindness, or jump right in and stay by their side until they get through it. Even when we are barley holding our heads above water, or struggling to hold on longer, if you will rescue a fellow traveler, you will be okay. We need each other! Satan wants to tear us apart. He would definitely want us to tell our boyfriend or spouse to just kill themselves and “get it over with”. That’s how he lives! Alone! In darkness, miserable forever. Every time we show kindness we are becoming the kind of person worthy of a celestial home. Today, find your Hope or Drew and cheer them on! we can do it. I know we can. Our small acts of kindness will be a light so that when the bridegroom comes we will be ready.
click on this link for a short video