In 1952, Florence Chadwick stepped into the waters of the Pacific Ocean off Catalina Island, determined to swim to the shore of mainland California. The weather was foggy and chilly; she could hardly see the boats watching her heroic effort. Still, she swam fifteen hours.  That’s right – fifteen hours.

As she begged to be taken out of the water, her mother in a boat nearby, encouraged her to keep at it.  Finally, physically and emotionally exhausted, Chadwick stopped swimming and was pulled out of the water. It wasn’t until she was on the boat that she discovered the shore was less than half a mile away. At a news conference the next day she said, “All I could see was fog … I think if I could have seen the shore I would have made it.”

This story epitomizes the need for Christian community.  We need people to encourage, equip, and empower us.  And we need to listen to them.

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.  Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

– Hebrews 10:23-25

In a future post I will share about the people who have encouraged, equipped and empowered me to follow Jesus Christ.