When we are drowning

This is a powerful story that has stayed with me. Thanks to Karl Duffy for sharing the wisdom of Omid Safi.
May we offer our heart and our selves to others in need. We don’t need to be saints to do it 😌

Karl Duffy's avatarMindfulbalance

There is a story told in the Middle East about how to help someone who’s drowning.

A man had fallen into a river. He was not much of a swimmer and was in real danger of drowning. A crowd of concerned people wanted to rescue him. They were standing at the edge of the water, each of them urgently shouting out to him: “Give me your hand, give me your hand!”

The man was battling the waves and ignored their urgent plea. He kept going under and was clearly struggling to take another breath. 

A saintly man walked up to the scene. He too cared about the drowning man. But his approach was different. Calmly he walked up to the water, waded in up to his knees, glanced lovingly at the drowning man, and said: “Take my hand.”

Much to everyone’s surprise, the drowning man reached out and grabbed the saint’s hand…

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30 responses to “When we are drowning”

  1. Lovely story with a great message of what true love is all about!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you Peter. I’m so glad it resonated with you 💛

      Liked by 1 person

  2. A truly loving story and reminder, Val, thank you.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you Jet. Feel the love today 💕

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you Pascale. So glad you enjoyed this share 💛

      Like

  3. Loving reminder Val, thank you for sharing this.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. So glad you enjoyed this Irene. Feel the love on Valentine’s Day 💕

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I do Val and send love to you too ❤

        Liked by 1 person

  4. Thanks for sharing that! That is a great story to remind us about the give and take in life!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you Kate. Take my hand and share some one today 💕

      Like

  5. Beautiful! Happy Valentine’s Day!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you! Feel the love Nancy 💕

      Like

  6. Walking My Path: Mindful Wanderings in Nature Avatar
    Walking My Path: Mindful Wanderings in Nature

    Such a beautiful story. Thank you, and Happy Valentine’s Day.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. So glad you enjoyed it Mary. Feel the love 💕

      Liked by 1 person

  7. I like it. Simple story. Powerful message.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you Louise. Happy Valentine’s Day ❤️

      Like

  8. What a perfect story for Valentine’s Day. Thanks for sharing, Val!❤️

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you Jill. Happy Valentine’s Day to you my friend 💕

      Liked by 1 person

  9. Love this Val! So very true. 🙏🏻🌈

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you Karen for offering your hand and heart every day.💕

      Liked by 1 person

  10. Loveliness. Thank you Val!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you dear Cindy 💕

      Like

  11. Val, thank you so very much for sharing this wisdom filled tale.. A leaf we could all take and reach out our helping hands to others..
    Another sad day for the USA as I hear of the terrible events today
    Love and prayers xxx ❤

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thank you from my heart to yours 💕

      Liked by 1 person

  12. Love this story, and missed it on Karl’s blog (I don’t know how, but anyway ;)). I think it doesn’t serve to keep rescuing others, but being present for them, providing some direction when they appear lost, is invaluable. For their part, just knowing another is there and willing to really connect seems key. It’s like the opposite of social media. Instead of just hitting the Like or Love button, why not demonstrate this on a moment to moment basis? Great share, Val, Mahalo. ❤

    Liked by 1 person

    1. A Wonderful Bela. Just being there, and for the other to know that…. takes us beyond black and white thinking … and judgment. Thank you. Mahalo 🙏

      Liked by 1 person

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