Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Guest Post: Ragan Lybbert

I was sitting in Sunday School not too long ago and had a very vivid memory come to mind that I hadn’t reflected on for quite some time. The instructor was speaking about our Savior and His ability to rescue us from any difficulty or hardship, even the darkest times in our lives. A very brief, yet dark moment of my life flooded to my memory and dominated my thoughts. Even more vividly I remembered how the thought of the Savior and God’s promises to me helped pull me out (almost literally) of that situation.

I was on a river rafting trip with a youth group from my ward having a great time. A few minutes before this incident I had climbed off a large raft with a big group of my peers and leaders and climbed onto the back half of a small, inflatable, two man kayak with a close friend. As we headed downstream we took on every big rapid and quick current we could. We were having the time of our lives. Finally, we took on a particularly big rapid that seemed to dip and then wash back over itself so that the visible part of the rapid was actually flowing upstream. Its upstream force was enough to stop our little kayak with my friend past the rapid and me still behind it.

All of a sudden our kayak buckled and I was sucked down into the rapid. At first I thought nothing of it as I had already jumped in the river multiple times that day and have spent much of my life in the water. However, despite wearing a life jacket, I wasn’t surfacing. Still, I didn’t become concerned until I noticed that my surroundings were getting darker and darker as the rapid forced me deeper and deeper without allowing me to move downstream at all. I don’t know how long I was under the water, but I know it was long enough to think that I was going to die; just as that thought crossed my mind, I remembered my patriarchal blessing. Specific promises and personal assignments that I had been given came to mind and I knew my time on earth was not yet finished. I knew the Lord had more for me to do and that He would take care of me until I had finished my assigned tasks.

No sooner had that thought crossed my mind than I instantly shot to the surface. Immediately next to me was a couple on a small boat who just happened to be right where I surfaced. They helped me onto their boat and took me to my group where I was fussed over for a minute and then allowed to enjoy the rest of the trip.
I have since associated this experience with one of my favorite scriptures. Matthew 14:30-31. This is the story where Peter joins our Savior, who is walking on the water. It reads -

30 But when he (Peter) saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

 31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him,

I love that the Savior immediately came to Peter’s rescue, much like He did mine. I know that if we are living according to God’s laws that we can call upon Him in our need and that He will come immediately to our aid, no matter how bleak the situation, so long as it is His will to do so. Our Savior can save us from any situation we find ourselves in, so long as we will turn to Him and ask for His help. I love Him for that and for the great sacrifice He made for each one of us.