“My Daddy Will Save Me”
by Tom Goodman
June 29, 2005

Our series, “David Sings the Blues,” ended yesterday with a reminder to trust your Father in hard times.

Elizabeth Woodman knows how important it is to trust your father in a crisis.  One April afternoon a few years ago, 39-year-old Edward Woodman was steering his houseboat toward the north end of California's Lake Oroville.  His 11-year-old son, David, was at his side.  He did not see it when his 8-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, fell over the bow.

The girl tumbled helplessly between the aluminum pontoons of the houseboat, straight toward the churning outboard motor at the stern.  Hitting the propeller, the blades tore into her right arm and then jammed in the tangled mass of her pink sweater.  While she tried to free herself, Elizabeth remembered what her father had told her so many times:  “The only thing that can hurt you in the water is panic.”  Calmly, she tried to untangle her sweater from the prop while she reminded herself over and over:  “My daddy will save me.”

Edward heard the thud under the boat and he felt the engine stop.  Puzzled, he walked to the stern and looked over the railing.  Seeing Elizabeth’s pink sweater, the father jumped into the dark water and found his daughter.  She stared back at him with no fear or panic—just patient trust.  He knew her calmness would give him a chance to free her.

The father surfaced and descended four, five, and six times to breathe life-giving air into her mouth as he yanked and cut at the pink threads holding his daughter under.  Finally, he got her free and to the surface.  In moments they were at full throttle toward the nearest marina and to a hospital where her arm was mended.

The next day, a reporter asked the little girl if she had been afraid during the rescue.  Elizabeth's hazel eyes looked at her father as she said, “Oh, I knew my daddy would save me.  And he did.”

When you're entangled in a crisis, you've got to wait for your heavenly Father to save you.  That’s one of the key things we learned in our series, “David Sings the Blues.”  If you missed any of the messages, go to Click here to listen.

This week, July 3, be sure to join Hillcrest for worship and for an inspiring lesson by John Mosiman.  Most of you know John as the guy who leads home-building trips into Acuna.  I think you’ll enjoy hearing what God’s been teaching John over the years.

At the end of the service, be sure to pick up an Outreach Kit for our Ramblin’ Road Trip!  We’ve prepared an outreach kit for every household in the church, so don’t leave yours in the lobby!  The Kit will give you instructions and materials for inviting those you know to our churchwide VBS that begins July 10!

—Tom