Some years ago, on a hot summer day in south
> > Florida,
> > a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old
> > swimming hole
> > behind his house.
> >
> > In a hurry to dive into the cool water,
> > he ran out the back door, leaving behind
> > shoes,socks and shirt as he went.
> > He flew into the water, not realizing that as he
> > swam toward
> > the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming
> > toward the shore.
> > His mother, in the house and looking out the
> > window,
> > saw the two as they got closer and closer together.
> >
> > In utter fear, she ran toward the water,
> > yelling to her son as loudly as she could.
> > Hearing her voice, the little boy became alarmed
> > and made a
> > U-turn to swim to his mother.
> > It was too late. Just as he reached her,
> > the alligator reached him.
> > From the dock,the mother grabbed her little boy by
> > the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs.
> >
> > That began an incredible tug-of-war between the
> > two.
> > The alligator was much stronger than the mother,
> > but the mother was much too passionate to let go.
> >
> > A farmer happened to drive by, heard her screams,
> > raced from his truck, took aim and shot the
> > alligator.
> >
> > Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital,
> > the little boy survived.
> > His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious
> > attack of the animal.
> > And,on his arms, were deep scratches where his
> > mother's
> > fingernails dug into his flesh in her effort to
> > hang on to the son she loved.
> >
> > The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy
> > after the trauma,
> > asked if he would show him his scars.
> > The boy lifted his pant legs.
> > And then, with obvious pride, he said to the
> > reporter,
> > "But look at my arms. I have great scars on my
> > arms, too.
> > I have them because my Mom wouldn't let go."
> >
> > You and I can identify with that little boy. We have
> > scars, too.
> > No, not from an alligator, but the scars of a
> > painful past!
> > Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us
> > deep regret.
> >
> > But, some wounds,
> > my friend,
> > are because God has refused to let go.
> > In the midst of your
> > struggle, He's been there holding on to you.
> > The ????ure teaches that God loves you.
> > You are a child of God.
> > He wants to protect you and provide for you in
> > every way.
> > But sometimes we foolishly
> > wade into dangerous situations, not knowing what
> > lies ahead.
> > The swimming hole of life is filled with peril and
> > we forget that the enemy is
> > waiting to attack.
> >
> > That's when the tug-of-war begins - and if you have
> > the scars
> > of His love on your arms be very, very grateful.
> > He did not, and will not,
> > ever let you go.
> >
> > Please pass this on.
> > God has blessed you, so that you can be a blessing
> > to others.
> > You just never know where a person is in his/her
> > life and what they are going through.
> > Never judge another persons scars,
> > because you don't know how they got them.
> >
> > Also, it is soooo important that we are not selfish
> > to receive the
> > blessings of these messages without forwarding them
> > to someone else.
> >
> > Right now, someone needs to know that God loves
> > them, and that you
> > love them too
> > enough to not let them go.
> >
> > GOD BLESS!
> > "Don't let your past dictate who you are, but
> > let it be part of who you will become