Scorched by the Sun
Wednesday, September 3, 2025
“If we do not abide in prayer, we will abide in temptation.” – John Owen
During my college years, I worked as a lifeguard for two summers at a day camp in Medford, New Jersey. The first year it was called Cherrystone and then the second year, it changed names after Philadelphia Flyers icon Bobby Clarke bought it. I even got to attend Clarke’s 40th birthday party, which was held at the camp.
Basically, my job was to teach swimming lessons in the morning and to serve as a lifeguard during the free swim time in the afternoon. That meant roughly eight hours in the broiling sun, every day, Monday to Friday.
Back then, there was no such thing as sunscreen with SPF. About the only suntan lotion on the market was Coppertone, and it didn’t block out the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. And so, I would sit in my lifeguard stand and simply bake and burn, hour after hour, day after day. In fact, I lost count of the number of times my nose peeled those two summers.
That was about 45 years ago, and I am amazed that I haven’t developed skin cancer as a result of my carelessness during my lifeguarding days. However, far more serious and far more deadly is failing to apply prayer to our daily lives. When we stop praying, we open the door to every kind of temptation imaginable.
My friend, the best advice I can give you today is to “lather up” with prayer before you begin your day. Otherwise, you’re bound to get burnt!
“Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand… Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:13 & 18 (BSB)
- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President
