Chosen By God 3

I grew up on Lake Huron in Michigan. The spillway ran behind our house. An approximately 10' wide x 12' deep channel off the lake that carried excess water inland to keep our homes from flooding . My older brothers put a big plank across it so they could get to their friends houses on the other side. I was four, and decided I would follow my brothers. By the time I got to what we called the “County Ditch”, my brothers were out of sight. The plank was about 2-3' below ground level and about 2 feet above the water, the ground was muddy, and I had on sandals. I slid down the slime to just above the plank. I screamed at the top of my lungs, but no one heard me. I struggled to climb back up for what seemed an eternity, grabbing at tree roots, and making little progress until I got my foot on a big tree root that allowed me to put my arms on the ground at the top and pull myself up. I can imagine what my mother saw when my screams brought her running out of the house. Seeing me covered with muck & slime she ran for the hose, and adding shame to my distress, hosed me off in front of all the neighbors that came running to see what was going on. (I was known for being very loud!) The third miracle in my life.