My friend Tim and I sat snacking on a bag of Cape Cod potato chips the other day. That got me reminiscing about childhood days on the Massachusetts coast. Plum Island was our favorite. It’s not Destin or Waikiki — but we loved that skinny spit of land north of Gloucester.
“Plum Island is where I fell into the ocean,” I told Tim. The story had to be told.
The Yeagleys loved Plum Island in the winter. Special beach attire was required — boots, long sleeve shirts, sweat shirts, coats, hats, gloves, scarves, and anything else my mom could coax us to wear. The deserted beach was our private playground. When we tired of jumping off sand dunes and digging deep in the sand, we flirted with the frigid Atlantic. As the waves retreated, we chased them out to sea. When the waves rolled in, we retreated to drier ground.
Being boys, we were invincible. Almost. I chased a wave out and with confidence I backpedaled to escape the incoming icy water. I didn’t see the big pile of seaweed.
“Save me, O God, for the floodwaters are up to my neck. Deeper and deeper I sink into the mire; I can’t find a foothold. I am in deep water, and the floods overwhelm me.” Psalm 69:1-2 NLT.
As fast as I went down, I was under water. Cold Atlantic salt water. My winter beach gear was useless. I was soaked to the skin and quickly losing body heat. I was in trouble.
“Hear me, O Lord, for Your lovingkindness is good; Turn to me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies. And do not hide Your face from Your servant, For I am in trouble; Hear me speedily.” Psalm 69:16-17 NKJV
My dad hustled me to the car — sticky, smelly saltwater and all. He stripped me down to my birthday suit, wrapped me in a blanket, and we headed to the nearest laundromat. Sitting in “the alltogether” in the back seat of our station wagon, I was embarrassed but finally warm. My dad was on my side. He would fix it.
“If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, Let Israel now say . . . Then the waters would have overwhelmed us, The stream would have gone over our soul; Then the swollen waters would have gone over our soul. . . Our help is in the name of the Lord.” Psalm 124:1, 4-5 & 8 NKJV.
My dad headed into the laundromat with boots, socks, pants, shirt, underwear, coat, hat, gloves and any other item of clothing that succumbed to the Atlantic. He got some looks. “My son fell in the ocean” only confounded the curious. But my dad didn’t care — he was on a mission to get me back warm and dry to Plum Island. To restore me to the joy of a day at the beach.
“In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.” 1 Peter 5:10 NLT
Oh, the glorious feeling of warm, dry clothes. I was headed back to Plum Island. Thanks to my dad.
“I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness.” Isaiah 61:10 NLT.
You won’t find this in the Bible, but I believe that Christ’s Robe of Righteousness is warm — fresh out of the warm dryer. And He has assured me I won’t miss Plum Island.