Looking back on my life, I experienced many circumstances where God intervened. If He had not been there looking out for my welfare, things could have proved to be disastrous on more than one occasion.
My husband’s occupation, as well as his hobby, often put me in close proximity to big, dangerous animals on our adventures.
Thank you, Lord, for intervening and keeping me safe from what might have been a horrendous experience.
We flew to Alaska so my photographer husband could record the bears frequenting the local dump near Petersburg. That didn’t take long because a phenomenal number of bears scrounged for “goodies” the day we arrived. My husband seemed pleasantly surprised by the results.
Later, we visited a friend who worked for the Division of Wildlife there. Charlie suggested we go for a boat ride to see the nearby LeConte glacier. This glacier spanned 21 miles by 1 mile wide. We headed out in Charlie’s boat and were privileged to see a spectacular “calving” take place right in front of us. It rarely happens, so we felt very fortunate to witness the event.
The huge chunk of ice hit the water. The boat rocked violently from side to side as the waves reached us. Seconds later, when the ice berg surfaced, once again we felt the second wave action as the boat was tossed about.
We passed many icebergs as we headed back to the dock. That’s when my husband decided that a picture of me sitting or standing on the iceberg would make a very unique photo. “Honey, let’s get you on that iceberg so I can get a picture.”
I sucked in a deep breath and thought, “You’ve got to be kidding.”
Charlie, our captain, attempted to get the boat close enough to the iceberg so that I could somehow step onto it. As we came closer, a giant gust of wind whirled across the boat. It pushed us into the ice and snapped part of the boat’s safety railing. We all looked at each other and decided photographing me on the iceberg wasn’t such a good idea after all.
We pulled away, feeling bad about Charlie’s damaged railing. Seconds later a wild disturbance in the water drew our attention. The beautiful blue iceberg upended itself as it flipped over. If I had been on the iceberg, I would have plunged into the freezing water and more than likely been pulled under from the suction as the iceberg did its thing.
Thank you, Lord, for sending a powerful gust of wind at that precise moment. It made us all realize what we attempted to do was not wise.
Charlie used an ice pick to retrieve some ice for our drinks that evening. Ten-thousand-year-old ice promised to be a novelty that may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Psalm 121: 2-3 states, “My help comes from the Lord, who made Heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber.”
This column may include both fiction and nonfiction, and views expressed do not necessarily represent those of The SUN. Submissions can be sent to editor@pagosasun.com.
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