- Have you heard of someone who had a “near death” or life-threatening experience? Tell us about it. (Answers will vary, but students may talk about an accident of someone they know or something they heard on the news or saw in a movie. Be prepared to get things going with a story of your own if no one has anything to share.)
We are going to watch a video about a woman whose life was in danger. Listen carefully to see if you can discover what she focused on to survive.
Share the following video [6:33; stop at 3:51]:
I Survived A SHARK ATTACK | Channel 4
- What an amazing story! Were you listening for how she survived? What did Anika do that led to her survival? (She gave it everything she had to get out of the water; she kept kicking even when she wanted to give up.)
- What are some things Anika could have been focused on that would NOT have helped her survive? (Answers will vary, but might include: The shark, confusion, her blood in the water, her ripped up wet suit, how far away the kayak looked, how small the kayak was, etc.)
- When you are scared or in a desperate situation, what are some things you tend to focus on that aren’t helpful? (Accept all reasonable answers.)
The fact that life is short and bad things can happen shouldn’t be scary if we’re focused on the right thing. Looking at the right thing and taking action likely saved Anika’s life. One time, when the Israelites were close to death in the desert, God instructed them to look at something specific to live. Let’s find out what that was!
