Sleeping Lifeguards

by Joey Davis

Lifeguards. Usually a part-time job given to young men and women. I remember being a kid and thinking that being a Lifeguard was the best job in the world . ...plenty of sunshine...fresh air, and I could go swimming anytime. I wanted I'm sure that's what the subject of my story thought. too.

He's a lifeguard. And like most other lifeguard so when he took his training, he could almost smell the fresh air, feel the sunshine in his skin, .and let's be honest, he could envision all the pretty girls wanting him to came to their rescue. However, somewhere along the line. something went dreadfully wrong. He got a job guarding the kiddie splash pool at the Lebanon City Park.

Day in and day out he sat by a pool that was too shallow to drown a cat and watched little folks splash water all over each other At night. in his dreams he could hear the squealing of playful children. I don't think these squeals hindered his sleep.

You see, one afternoon, he was watching my kids. He was listening to Olivia and Sawyer squeal. My wife sat by the pool and watched as well. She's not the type to trust other people to look out for the well being of our pride and joy. On this particular day it was a good thing that she was watching. Oh. Olivia and Sawyer were fine. The problem was the lifeguard As Melissa watched the children, she began to wonder when the splash pool would be closing for the summer. So she went over to the lifeguard to ask her question.

When she got to his chair, he had the bill of his cap pulled down to shade his eyes, his hands were resting on his cheeks and his body was fixed in a posture that made him appear to be totally focused and attentive to the happenings in the pool. There was only one problem. . . he was asleep!

Imagine what could have happened. Parents had entrusted their children's lives to this fellow and he fell asleep on the job. Maybe he was tired. Maybe he was bored. Maybe this job just wasn't what he had in mind when he became a lifeguard. None of this matters. he should have never fallen asleep on the job. . .

Our expectations of Christianity aren't always grounded in realism. Being a Christian doesn't make us healthy wealthy or wise. It makes us forgiven. And with this blessing comes great responsibility. God entrusts us to reach the world with his life-saving message. We're lifeguards so to speak.

Being a Christian isn't always fun. Sometimes we are called into circumstances we would rather avoid. But who we are and what we provide for the world is important. God is counting on us to bring living water to a dying world. Don't fall asleep on the job!