Some years ago on a hot summer day in south Florida a little boy decided togo for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house.

      
幾年前的一個炎炎夏日，在美國佛羅里達州南部，有個小男孩為貪圖涼快，決定去自家房子后面一個形成已久的深水潭中游泳。

      
In a hurry to dive into the cool water,he ran out the back door,leavingbehind shoes,socks,and shirt as he went. He flew into the water,notrealizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake,an alligator wasswimming toward the shore. His mother - in the house was looking out thewindow - saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utterfear,she ran toward the water,yelling to her son as loudly as she could.

      
因為迫不及待地想投入到清涼的水中，他飛快地從后門跑了出去，邊跑邊脫掉鞋子、襪子和襯衣，把它們隨手拋在了身后。他一頭扎進了水里，絲毫沒有意識到自己游往潭中心的同時，一只美洲鱷也正在朝岸邊游來。小男孩的母親當時在屋子里透過窗子向外看著，發現那只美洲鱷正向她的孩子步步逼近。她極度驚恐起來，一邊迅速奔向水潭，一邊聲嘶力竭地朝自己的孩子呼喊著。

Hearing her voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a return to swimto his mother. It was too late. Just as he reached her,the alligatorreached him.

      
聽到她的呼喊，小男孩才猛然意識到了危險，立即掉頭向岸邊的母親游去。可這時已經無濟于事。他的手勉強剛夠到他的母親，鱷魚也已經接觸到了他。

      
From the dock, the mother grabbed her little boy by the arms just as thealligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war betweenthe two. The alligator was much stronger than the mother, but the motherwas much too passionate to let go. A farmer happened to drive by, heard herscreams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator.

      
母親在岸上拼命地拽緊兒子的手臂，而此時美洲鱷也死死地咬住孩子的腿不放。為了爭奪小男孩，母親和鱷魚之間儼然展開了一場讓人難以置信的拔河較量。美洲鱷的力氣顯然要比母親強大得多，但是母親挽救兒子的堅定信念讓她無論如何也絕不放手。就在這萬分危急的關頭，一位農夫恰巧駕車經過，一聽到孩子母親的尖叫便飛速從卡車上跳下，瞄準鱷魚并開槍將其射殺。

    
  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.

     
值得慶幸的是，經過在醫院數周的搶救治療，小男孩居然存活了下來。鱷魚兇殘的襲擊在他的腿上刻下了觸目驚心的傷痕。不僅如此，他的雙臂上也留下了深深的抓痕，那是在生死關頭母親為了牢牢抓住摯愛的兒子，以至于手指甲都掐入了兒子的肉中所留下的。

 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.

     
事后，這位死里逃生的小男孩接受了一位報社記者的采訪。當記者問他是否愿意讓大家看看他身上的傷疤時，小男孩挽起了自己的褲腿，腿上深深的疤痕暴露無遺。緊接著，他滿臉自豪地告訴記者，“大家還是看看我的手臂吧，我的手臂上也有好多傷疤呢。這是媽媽不放開我，在救我的時候留下的。”
   
You and I can identify with that little boy. We have scars, too. No, not from an alligator, or anything quite so dramatic. But, the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret.

看了這個小男孩的故事后，人們都能感同身受。其實我們每個人身上都有傷疤。只不過并不是被鱷魚咬的，或任何如此戲劇性事件所造成，而是過往的痛苦經歷所留下的。那些傷疤是如此難看，讓人深感懊悔。

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.

      
但是，我的朋友，你可曾想過有些傷口是一些不想放棄你的人造成的。在你掙扎的過程中，那些愛你的人為了拉住你，才在你身上留下了這些傷疤。