Brought to Safety from the Sea

I was walking along the beach this morning… I saw a small mouse running from the water’s edge up the beach. A young herring gull spotted it, chased it, caught it and dropped it. The mouse ran off. The herring gull chased it again, caught it again, dropped it again.

I walked off. I don’t know how the story ended, but I fear for the helpless mouse… The chip shop and ice-cream kiosk weren’t open so I guess that a mouse could have been the gull’s breakfast…  

On yesterday’s news… The British Army Offshore Racing Team’s yacht is taking part in the Round Britain race. Seventy miles off the coast of Newcastle, the crew spotted an exhausted barn owl. It attempted to land several times, fell into the sea, then collapsed on the boat deck.

The crew nicknamed the owl Reg, contacted the ‘Barn Owl Trust’ who arranged for the Caister lifeboat to intercept their yacht. The owl was brought to shore and Reg is now recovering in a Norfolk wildlife centre.

Doreen’s in her eighties… She enjoys swimming in the sea. If she approaches the lifeguards a ‘nice young man’ will help her into the water, and, when she’s finished, he will then help her out of the water.

Yesterday Doreen told me that her friend Heather, who is of similar age, joined her recently. Doreen’s ‘nice young man’ helped them both into the water… They enjoyed their swim… Doreen waved, and the lifeguard helped her out of the water. She turned round and was amused to see that Heather had found her own ‘random man’ assisting her.

Remembering ‘lost and found’ Bible stories… the Good Shepherd finds the lost sheep… not taking advantage like a gull playing with a helpless mouse… rescuing an exhausted, lost Reg… summoning a lifeboat… finding a place to recuperate… the kind, overseeing lifeguard… the unexpected random man… seeing a need, providing care, being trustworthy.

And the Good Shepherd calls me to be like him.