Stay Alert

My husband is a golfer. He would play every day if he had the time, and many days will make time. Living at the edge of a golf course where greens privileges are included as part of our residency makes it easier for him to spend his leisure hours whacking that little white ball up and down the hills. Several years ago, he convinced me to try and learn how to play so we would have something to do together. I have to admit that it is relaxing, though I'm so competitive that I get frustrated much faster than he does. I hate that I've been playing since 2002 and I still can't get my little round pink (yes, I play with pink and lavender golf balls thank you very much) balls into that little round hole without hitting it with my pink golf clubs many more times as I'm supposed to. The word Bogie is my best friend...and that's IF I don't add the words double or triple in front of it!One afternoon recently, I didn't really feel much like playing, but agreed to drive the golf cart for Mike. As I waited for him to putt on the 9th hole, I happened to see a flash of white in the edge of the pond near the cart path. Curiosity got the best of me, because it kind of looked like it might be a snake, but I'd never seen a snake that color before. I walked to the edge of the path and looked down into the water, but didn't see anything. As I started to turn around, I saw it again. It wasn't a snake, but I still couldn't really tell what it was."What are you doing?" Mike asked, coming up behind me."What is that?" I asked...pointingWe both edged toward the pond followed by two young men who were playing directly behind us. "Is that a fish?" one of them asked. I know the people driving down the access road that runs right by that hole must have wondered why four grown adults were staring into brush at the edge of pond like little kids looking for buried treasure.Whatever it was disappeared again, only to pop back to the top of the water in just a minute. By this time, we'd all walked directly to the water's edge and could see that it was indeed a fish. But it was on its back, trying desperately to swim away. As it struggled to right itself, we could all see that its entire tail fins were gone, as well a huge chunk of its body. And then, we saw it. A tiny turtle, less than half the size of this fish swam to the surface, grabbed a mouthful of fish and pulled him deep under the brush. A moment later, here came the fish again, trying to get away from its prey. Each trip under water left him weaker and weaker, but still he continued his efforts to escape. I felt so sorry for that poor fish. Not just because he had become some baby turtle's dinner, because that's simply human nature. My sympathy came because I know how that fish feels. When I'm down and feeling that life has dealt me a devastating blow, and Satan continues to come after me again and again and again. Each attack seems to leave me weaker and more vulnerable. Each time he drags me under, I have to struggle harder and harder to get back to the surface.I Peter 5:8 warns us to "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour."Satan is watching for us to let down our guard. As soon as we do, he strikes. Our prayer each day should be for God to help us stay alert.