Sink or swim is the phrase my daughter posted on facebook as her two youngest made their way to swimming lessons. They could not wait to get to the pool. They had fond memories of their previous lessons with a pretty young girl gently coaxing them into the water. There were floaties and noodles and waiting arms to catch them. It was so much fun and safe. As soon as they arrived at the side of the pool, they knew this time was so very different. This time there was a 19-year-old guy who was there to teach them to swim. There would be no fluff, no gentle coaxing, no floaties, and no noodles. It was not going to be fun or safe. Basically, the order of the day was sink or swim.
God brings me to those places in my life from time to time. I have been enjoying His love, enjoying His blessing, enjoying my time with Him and then it seems like I show up one day and it is sink or swim. My safety nets have been removed; those things that made me feel safe are gone. So what do you then? Well, Brianna will do what she is told and Jake is thinking if he is going to endure this there has to be one big toy at the other end as a reward.
I have a little bit of both of them in me. I will do what I am told because I love the Lord and I know that whatever He asks of me is out of love and for my good. I know that He will never let me drown, maybe scare me to death, but not drown. I can’t bear the thought of not going on with Him – so I obey. But I also have some of Jake in me. I know the promise of His word that says He rewards those who seek Him.
Hebrews 11:6 (New Living Translation) 6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.
The reason for His promise is not there for me to hold over His head and say if I do this then you owe me but a more precious truth is revealed to me. He gave me the promise to give me confidence. He gave me the promise to excite me. He gave me the promise so I would have the courage to jump in and learn the joy of swimming in the deep water. I will no longer be tied to fear. No longer tied to the shallow end of the pool. No longer a prisoner of the shore. He is calling me to freedom. He is calling me to know Him in a deeper way than ever before. He is telling me there is so much more for me to discover about Him. So I jump in the deep end.
Just got word that Jake and Brianna LOVE their swimming lessons and want to make sure they are signed up for next time because those lessons are outside. This Grandma is going to have to get in gear and take the plunge.
PS Brianna and Jake have made a pact. They are staying together. Even if one passes they will not go to the next level until both of them can go. You know the old saying “Never swim alone.”
So what did I learn?
- God is always calling me to a deeper experience of His love.
- He will not let me drown.
- He is my reward.
- We are in this together.
- Dive into God’s love!
I’m diving in
I'm going deep
In over my head I wanna be Caught in the rush
Lost in the flow
In over my head I wanna go
The river's deep river's wide
The river's water is alive
So sink or swim
I'm diving in
I'm diving in
Steven Curtis Chapman
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