In December I attended the wedding of my niece in Sri Lanka. One of my sisters lives there. We also formed part of the retinue escorting the bride and groom to India, where the groom lives.

We later returned to Sri Lanka. After lunch on Christmas Day, a large group of us, including close family and friends, traveled to a beach hotel in the northeastern section of the island.

The next morning, while most of us were at the breakfast buffet, we heard a raging sound of wind and water. Then a series of massive wall-high waves hit us, striking at about 8:45am.

At first, I held on to one of my nieces, who had been sitting next to me. But I was swept away along a doorless corridor of the hotel, as more of the gigantic waves pounded on everything. I do not know how to swim.

Furniture toppled over me, and I lost hold of my niece. As I tumbled in the water, a Bible verse came to me: "I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord". I repeated these words over and over as I was being dragged down to the bottom. The waves kept coming, and I took in a great deal of seawater.

I asked God, "Tell me what to do." An angel said: "Cycle ... Paddle ... use your legs." So I paddled, even though furniture was hitting me and sometimes sandwiching me. I kept bobbing up and down, gasping for a breath of air whenever I could.

Then I noticed a metal bar - it may have been a handle on one of the shelves - and grabbed on to it, allowing me to keep my head just above the water.

Worry for others

Even as I struggled with the furniture colliding with me, I knew I had more praying to do. There were gnawing thoughts about others' safety. I realised that my greatest foe was fear in the guise of worry for others. There were more than 20 people in our party and many more in the hotel. So I gave everyone over to God's loving care.

Releasing my worry for them let me deal with the next thought that came to me: "Why live?" I had just retired after teaching high school for almost four decades. If I perish, I thought, many people whose lives I've touched would be demoralised.

I thought of my family and friends, and about a school building project in South Africa that I was supporting. It's amazing how much you think of during a crisis. Your whole life truly does flash through your mind.

I had sustained wounds to the side of my head and my right thigh. At one point I lost consciousness as a result of them - but somehow my grip on the metal bar stayed tight.

When I regained consciousness, the water was at waist level. I realized my blouse was not on me. The omnipresent God will cover me, I prayed. When the water receded further, I noticed my tattered but still wearable blouse was stuck to a broken piece of furniture, and I gladly retrieved it.

I walked toward the sound of voices and spotted some fisher boys, who graciously held me and helped me get to safer ground. Three people in our group were missing, and later their bodies were recovered. All the others in our party had survived, although everyone was injured.

Salute to Sri Lankans

We walked and hobbled, barefooted. Twice, snakes crossed our path, and although as a child I had been terrified of reptiles, I kept calm and trusted God's protection.

As we walked, my niece talked with the local people in their language, and we heard about and saw their great woe. I prayed for the peace that passes all understanding to touch them.

By 6pm, we found transport for the several-hour journey to the Sri Lankan city of Kandy, where my sister has her home. During our night drive, a huge elephant monopolised the road at one point. We all kept calm. No more of the herd came along, and eventually the driver gingerly drove past the majestic animal.

I salute the generous people of Sri Lanka. Muslim ladies gave their scarves to clothe the naked and semi-naked. One woman gave me a long-sleeve shirt, and T-shirts and skirts to two young Russian girls clothed only in bikinis - they had intended to go swimming before the waves came. Someone passed around a bottle of water, and each of us took a tiny sip, not wanting to take advantage of their kindness.

That night a doctor examined me and said my lungs were clear - the salt water had been expelled naturally as I walked. I had no broken bones, just muscle tears, wounds, and other minor injuries.

A couple who work in Sri Lanka, and are good friends of my sister, were in our company. They had minimal injuries, and, with the German embassy's assistance - he is German, and she Filipina - they helped me return home to Singapore a few days later.

I thank God for His protection, and for comforting those who have suffered loss.

Though now living in Singapore, VATHAM PANDIAN is originally from Malaysia. This article first appeared in the Christian Science Sentinel.