W is for WATER SKIER

His name was Andrew.He arrived at the beach every morning in his sleek motorboat, dressed in a red vest and swim shorts which created a stark contrast with his jet black skin. We had watched him each day from the safety of the sun loungers on the other side of a well manicured hedge and occasionally from the sandy shore itself, as he demonstrated his considerable skill on the skis in the perfectly calm waters of the ocean stretching out before us. Sometimes he was reduced to one ski and at other times, skimmed the water using only the skin of his bare feet to glide over the surface. Exhibition completed, he would then retire to one of the many hotel cafes of watering holes that fringed the shore, before emerging refreshed and ready to tout for business in his other role as water skiing instructor. I don't know what made me think I could do it, nor my wife, for that matter. Maybe it was the fact that we were only married a few days and still floating, maybe it was the fact that we were half way across the globe in an unreal Caribbean world or maybe you just do these sort of things when you are on holiday, for i had no reason to be confident in my ability, despite the instructor's assurances and the life belt fastened around my waist. I'm not a great swimmer, I don't particularly like water sports and I fear deep water. Yet here I was perched on a couple of pieces of wood, with only a thin rope between me and Andrew's boat, a whole two minutes training behind me and a whole world of deep water in front of me. I knew as soon as the boat took off at high speed that I was in trouble and before long I could only see it in the distance as it circled around to collect me and I waited nervously, bobbing up and down in a pool with no bottom and wondering what was studying my dangling legs from below. It was my new bride's turn now but she fared no better and we were soon swapping places again. And so it continued for over an hour by the end of which time, Andrew had all but given up and ferried us back to the comfort of our hotel beach, richer in his pocket but probably bemoaning the lack of sporting skill in the Irish.

His name was TC. He arrived at the beach every morning in his less than sleek motorboat, dressed in a faded blue vest and shorts. He spent a lot of his time chatting to hotel staff and guests at the various establishments along the front and rarely appeared to be in his other role as water skiing instructor. He and Andrew didn't seem particularly close. I don't know what made me think I could do it, nor my wife for that matter. Maybe it was the fact that we had failed already, maybe because it was cheaper this time, maybe because we had already overcome our fears or maybe because TC assured us that we would be able to do it. However this time there was something different. He showed us a different starting position on the skis, spent time explaining how to change as we began to move and, most important of all, encouraged us all the way, something that had been missing on our first experience. And when the boat moved off, it was at a pace more suitable for a beginner than a seasoned professional. And you know, we both were skiing first attempt. Yes, we had a few falls and a few long waits in the deep, deep water but he never lost us from view and his constant grin and supporting words galvanized us fro the job in hand. Even though my arms, shoulders and legs ached for days afterwards, I'll always remember that day in the water. And the bright blue badge he gave us said, 'I ski with TC'.

What a difference a word of encouragement and a slice of patience makes. I'm often guilty of not encouraging others enough and, especially when new believers come into the fellowship, we need to be there to help them, to show them how to keep their balance as they stand up and move forward in their faith, and to be patient as they grow. The New Testament letters are full of examples of fellow Christians encouraging each other and Paul , in his letter to the Thessalonians, says 'Therefore encourage one another and build each other up.' and also to 'encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.' God never intended me to be a water skier but He does expect me to be patient and encouraging, even when the water is very deep.