God's Grace

Ben called from work to let us know he was on his way home last night.
We like to know when he's leaving work because he rides his bike.

He also mentioned... that he was able to save someone that afternoon.

Ben is a lifeguard.

In my mind's eye, I imagined a struggling swimmer helped to the side by my just-turned-17 year old son.
"Glad he was paying attention", I thought.

As I visualized a routine save, he casually mentioned that he had pulled the child off the bottom of the pool.

The swimming pool at the Mosqueda Center in south Fresno is a very populated place.
At times the shallow end is elbow to elbow with parents and children hoping to beat the heat.
In the deep end, groups of children cluster at the ladder, barely keeping their noses above water.
They repeatedly push away and grab for the side again, Splashing, kicking, and laughing.

There were far too many children at the ladder yesterday:
children who swam not nearly as well as they professed.
Certainly not well enough for the deep end.

Ben was about to "break it up" for the tenth time that day,
when he saw a form under the crowd...
on the bottom, in the corner, under their feet.
The crowd moved slightly. The form did not.
In what felt like an eternity, but was only a second,
Ben was down from the high seat, in the water,
performing a maneuver he had practiced
but hoped never to use.

The child weighed hardly anything. The lifesaving tube was only in the way.
The tube's cord was all wound up.
He discarded it, and brought her up on his shoulder.
She had a pulse, but her breathing was gunky.
He turned her on her side.

The foam which oozed from her mouth and nose had plastered her hair to her face.
Her bloodshot eyes rolled back in her head and twitched.
But she was coughing up the water.
She was coming around.
The police were there almost immediately.
And the paramedics not long after.

When the EMS professional began to put the collar on her neck (I guess this is routine, in case an injury to her neck or spine had caused the mishap), she lifted her head and fought, complaining that her "daddy would be mad".
One of the other children explained that, for religious reasons, no one outside the family was allowed to give medical help to the child.
They did anyway.
The parents weren't there.

My husband prayed last night, thanking God for sparing the child's life, and for preparing Ben for that moment in his life.
God is indeed Good.