Some years ago on a hot summer day in south Florida a little boy decided to go for a swim in
the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry he dived into the cool water and flew into the
water, not 1 that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator(美洲鳄) was swimming
toward the 2 . His mother, looking out the window in the house, saw the two as they got closer
and closer together. In utter(完全的) fear, she ran toward the water, yelling to her son as 3 as
she could. Hearing her voice, the little boy became 4 and made a return to swim to his mother.
It was too late. Just as he reached her, the alligator 5 him. From the dock(码头), the mother
grabbed her little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible
tug-of-war(拔河) between the two. The alligator was much 6 than the mother, but the mother
was much too passionate to let go. A farmer happened to drive by, heard her screams, raced from
his truck, took aim and 7 the alligator.
Remarkably(出乎意外地), after weeks in hospital, the little boy 8 . His legs were 9 scarred
by the attack of the animal and, on his arms, were deep scratches where his mother's fingernails dug
into his flesh in her effort to hang on to the son she loved.
The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy later asked if he would show him his 10 . The
boy lifted his legs. And then, with obvious 11 , he said to the reporter, “But look at my arms. I have
great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my mom wouldn't let go.”
You and I can identify(感同身受) with the 12 . We have scars, too. No, not from an alligator,
or anything quite so dramatic. But, the scars of a 13 past. Some of those scars are unsightly(难看
的) and have caused us deep 14 . But, some , my friend, are because God has 15 to let go. In
the midst of your struggle, he's been there holding on to you. |