Boy Hero Bargains With God
News outlets the world over recently reported (January 30, 2026) of the heroic efforts of 13 year old Austin Appelbee who fought high seas, fear, and fatigue to rescue his family from certain death. One outlet reports it this way:
Austin, his mother Joanne, 12-year-old brother Beau, and 8-year-old sister Grace were on a vacation in Quindalup, Australia, when, on Jan. 30, they took their kayak and inflatable paddleboards out on Geographe Bay, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reports. At the time, the waters were calm, so they left their picnic basket, food, and water on the beach.
Soon, though, the waters became rough and the kayak flipped. It also began filling with water and the family was pushed farther and farther out to sea.
Austin tried to swim, dragging the rest of his family in the kayak, back to shore before his mother sent him to go get help. She said it was one of the hardest decisions she ever had to make.
“I knew he was the strongest and he could do it,” she said. “I would have never went because I wouldn’t have left the kids at sea, so I had to send somebody.”
Austin let go of the kayak and took off his life jacket, which he said was impeding his swimming. He swam for four hours.
“I was trying to get the happiest things in my head, and trying to make it through, and not the bad things that would distract me,” Austin told ABC.
So young Austin focused on simple, childhood motivators to keep himself focused. Think Thomas the Tank Engine ("Little engines can do big things!") meets Dory from Finding Nemo. In his own words, “I just kept thinking ‘just keep swimming, just keep swimming.’”
When he finally got to the beach he still had to sprint to a phone to call for help. "I need helicopters, I need planes, I need boats, my family’s out at sea!"
“I don’t think it was actually me doing that,” he said. "It was God the whole time. I kept on praying, I kept on praying.”
Austin knew that in that harrowing situation that God was going to be the answer. He simply couldn't do this on His own. Yet in His fear and uncertainty young Austin began bargaining with God, promising the Almighty that if He woud just get him to shore then he "would get baptized" and "go to church" (which indeed he did the following Sunday).
Click here to watch his interview with ABC news.
Nothing can diminish the unprecidented bravery, strength, and determination of this young hero. And hopefully, his recognition that it was God alone who could pull him and his family through this harrowing situation will provide lasting inspiration and motivation to continuing drawing near to the Lord, not just in rough seas, but in every moment of his life journey.
Yet young Austin has much to learn about the God to whom He cried out in his desparation. God's love, grace, deliverance, provision, and protection cannot be bargained for. "If you do this for me, I'll do that for you." Yet so often, for so many of us much older and supposedly wiser than our young hero, this is our natural, knee-jerk reaction.
God's love and grace are free gifts that stem from His heart and nature, not from our devotion or good works. No amount of obedience or sacrifice can trick Him into loving us. "We love Him because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19, NIV).
Christian author and pastor, Dr. Paul Tripp notes, "Some Christians have argued that there are [indeed] bargains in Scripture in which God seems to have willingly participated. One of the prime examples is Hannah."
“She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.” (1 Samuel 1:10-11, ESV)
At first glance, this does look like a bargain with God, and in fact, God did give Hannah a son. However, the story needs closer examination. Hannah has a conversation with Eli, the priest, “then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.” (v. 18)
[You will know] if you are striking a bargain with God, [if] it is only after you have received what you wanted that you experience positive emotions and celebrate getting what you wanted. Not so for Hannah. She is not waiting for the birth of her baby for joy and peace to return; she has it now.
Hannah’s prayer was not a negotiation with God to get her desire but an abandonment of her desire—yes, even a biblical one—for an even better one.
Rather than being consumed solely by her own purpose, she chooses to be captivated by God’s. Rather than attaching a happy life to the fulfillment of her own desires, she finds life in the success of God’s kingdom.
So he rightly observes:
Hannah is not negotiating with God for a son. Of course, she desires a son—a beautiful, biblical desire—but she is letting go of this desire to grab hold of and submit something infinitely better: God’s perfect, wise, and loving will for her life.
Here's Tripp's punchline ...
'Don’t stop asking God to fulfill the desires of your heart, but also never stop asking God to expose whether these desires are horizontal and self-serving rather than vertical and God-honoring. When your desires belong to the Lord, and you are fully content in him, you can experience the best and brightest of lives, no matter how he answers your prayers.'
As the Lord himself prayed, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39, ESV).
God did indeed show up for young Austin in his time of need, but not because our young hero promised him acts of devotion. There are no doubt many, albeit metaphorical, "rough seas" in Austin's future. To meet the challenges, let's pray this young man learns and grows in his faith, laying down his bargaining tools, simply coming to rest and trust in God's great love and grace freely offered.
He's off to a great start ... what a hero!
The Ways of a Sloth
Yes, it's true. In fact, they can actually hold their breath up to 45 minutes at a time.
Believe it or not, yes! Sloths can hold their breath for up to 40 minutes, while dolphins typically last around 10 to 15 minutes before surfacing for air. Sloths have an incredibly slow metabolism, which allows them to reduce their heart rate and conserve oxygen when submerged. Meanwhile, dolphins, as mammals, need to breathe frequently despite their aquatic lifestyle.
The reason these land-dwelling, super submersibles are so adept at breath holding is due to some unique physiological characteristics:
Their secret lies in their low metabolic rate and unique respiratory control:
Slow Metabolism: Sloths burn energy at an incredibly slow rate, which means their bodies require less oxygen than most mammals. This allows them to hold their breath much longer without experiencing distress.
Bradycardia (Reduced Heart Rate): When submerged, sloths can slow their heart rate by up to one-third, significantly reducing their oxygen demand. This trick is common in diving animals like seals but is unusual for a land-dwelling creature.
Efficient Oxygen Storage: Sloths have a high concentration of myoglobin in their muscles, which helps store oxygen for prolonged periods. This trait is typically seen in deep-diving marine mammals like whales and dolphins.
Minimal Movement: Their famously slow and deliberate movements mean they don’t burn oxygen rapidly, further extending their ability to function without fresh air.
All of these adaptations make sloths surprisingly well-equipped for survival—even underwater!
When it comes to their biology and physiology, sloths are some pretty amazing creatures. Yet these very characteristics — like their unusually slow metabolism and sluggish movements — have given them a pretty bad rap in Scripture.
"Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord" (Romans 12:11, ESV).
"The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor. All day long he craves and craves, but the righteous gives and does not hold back" (Proverbs 21:25-26, ESV).
"But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed?'" (Matthew 25:26, ESV).
"So that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises" (Hebrews 6:12, ESV).
And a plethora of other references ...
The message is clear: The sloth may be perfectly acclimated for water survival, but he is utterly unequipped for spiritual survival. The ways of the sloth are not to be envied.
Useful Tools
Any of us with children know the experience of our little ones wanting to "help" when we we're in the middle of some grown-up activity or project. Picture yourself in the middle of some home repair when your 5 year old comes out of the house with their toy tools and tool belt, saying, "I want to help you, dad." Our initial reaction may be to shoo them asside and tell them that we will play with their toys later, knowing that they would be more in the way than anything.
That's when we realize that in their mind, their tools (although made of plastic) were real tools, and that their abilities (as limited as they are) are useful for the job. You can see in their little eyes a true desire to help, a true desire to make their mom or dad proud.
We know that if we allow them to "help" it will likely make the job less efficeint and more cumbersome. But in that moment we realize that the effeciency of the job is so much less important than the joy (and experience!) our child would get from helping us.
As we consider such a scenario, we cannot help but see the Word of God in plain sight. God desires for us to follow Him and serve Him. He desires us to join him in the work of the ministry and in reaching the lost with the Gospel. But we're like clumsy, ill-equipped children in His service.
Truly, God does not "need" our help. He can accomplish much with or without us. Yet, over time, he will provide us increasingly more sophisticated tools as he hones our gifts and abilities, and we will become increasingly more useful co-laborers in the work of His ministry.
"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17, ESV).
"Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen" (Hebrews 13:20-21, ESV).
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10, ESV).