Rip Tide

Some life lessons aren’t learned in self-help books.  At the age of eight, Mike Franks learned the key to survival the hard way in the waters off of Destin, Florida.

In the summer of 1988, the Gulf of Mexico had never been more blue-green. The white sand burned his feet as he ran from his mom and dad’s umbrella toward the cool water.  A yellow flag crisply stood out against the deep blue sky but he didn’t notice it. He dove into the crashing surf and headed toward the sand bar that was a few hundred feet off shore.  A plane flew overhead pulling a banner, its engine barely heard over the screaming kids and breaking waves.  He poked his head up out of the water and looked back toward the shore.  He saw his parents and waved. As they waved back, it happened.

He felt himself being pulled out to sea.

An eight-year-old’s mind thinks of many things in a time of panic like that.  Mike’s was only focused on survival.  He began swimming as hard as he could and fighting the rip current. He felt his lungs burn.  He kicked and thrashed as hard as he could. And he knew he was getting swept farther out to sea. He hadn’t had enough life for it to flash in front of his eyes. Exhaustion set in. He knew he was going to drown.

And then he felt a sudden calm.  He heard a voice in his head that said, “Don’t resist, Mike. Don’t resist. Swim parallel to the shore.”

Mike did as the voice said and felt the rip current break its grip on him.

Exhausted, Mike floated until he got the strength to head back to shore. Lifeguards finally reached him and helped him back.  He got on the beach and collapsed in a heap, held by his crying mother.

Twenty-four years later.

Mike had been hit right between the eyes by the Great Recession. He remembered sitting in that office and seeing the manager dispassionately inform him of the cutback. He was now busy working two jobs trying to make ends meet.  It seemed like the rip current had caught him once again, dragging him out to sea.  Every night, he’d put his children to bed, watch his wife sleep and proceed to get angry.  Angry at the corporation who had cut him.  Angry at the world.  He’d fight against the tide. And now, he was just tired.  Tired of pushing back. Tired of the frustration. Tired of the hopelessness. He felt like he was going to drown. His life flashed before his eyes.

Until one night he heard the voice again.

He felt a sudden calm.  He heard a voice in his head that said, “Don’t resist, Mike. Don’t resist. Swim parallel to the shore.  Forgive.”

Forgive? Mike had struggled with the world.  Sure, Sunday School had taught him that it was a very New Testament idea.  But seriously, how could he forgive the people who were screwing with his life? The very people whose decision was hurting his children? Taking all that he had worked so hard for?   His anger swelled and pulled him out to sea.

Then he heard it again,  “Don’t resist, Mike. Don’t resist. Swim parallel to the shore. Forgive.”

That’s when Mike realized what it truly meant to forgive. He thought about that fateful day 24 years ago. He quit resisting. He quit being angry. He started swimming another way.

And he broke free from the rip current’s grip.

At that moment, he realized it was time to start swimming to safety. It was time start working on the things he had control of.  It was time to let go of the past and make a new and better life.   And in that dark bedroom, Mike Franks let go of his anger, found peace and headed to shore.