Blue waves lapped at my feet. Sand squeezed between my toes as I laughed. “Hey, wait for me, Abby.” Abby, a friend of mine, had hopped onto my Jet Ski and was pretending to leave me. I slipped off my outer clothes to reveal a swimsuit before quickly hopping onto the back of the watercraft.

It was the perfect day to be out on the lake. The air was warm. The Jet Ski cut effortlessly through the water. Holding on to Abby a little tighter, I sighed, enjoying the feel of the wind rushing through my long brown hair.

Our Jet Ski was a year old, but I still liked it a lot. Driving with my face to the wind, I felt as if I were flying and had total freedom.

Abby and I were having such a good time that we didn’t pay much attention to the gas level. The gauge sank down farther and farther. Finally the Jet Ski stopped.

“Oh, no! What’s wrong with it, Debbie? Did I ruin it?” Abby asked.

“I don’t think so,” I replied. “I think it will be all right. Try starting it again.”

Roarrrrrr putt putt putt ssssssss. Looking over Abby’s shoulder as she turned the starter, I noticed that the gas gauge read “empty.”

“I think we’re out of gas, Abby.”

“Oooooh, no,” she groaned.

“We’re going to have to swim it back to shore,” I suggested.

We both forlornly got into the water and started to swim, taking turns pushing the Jet Ski back to shore from the middle of the lake.

After a very long time we got back to shore. Lawrence, who had brought us to the lake, met us there. “Why didn’t you just turn on the emergency gas tank?” he asked.

Abby and I had no idea there was an emergency gas tank! We hadn’t read the operation manual before we went out on the lake. We thought we knew enough to get by.

Some people go through their lives this way. Thinking they are in control, they live without seeking any help from the ultimate “operation manual,” the Bible. When something goes wrong, they’re not prepared.

I‘ve bobbed in the water, spiritually speaking, more than I would have liked. But I keep going back to the Bible, and the ride smoothes out once again.

Written by Debbie Blackwell
Illustrated by Terrill Thomas