Okay, so I have a huge fear of drowning.
No idea where this fear came from or at what age I became aware of it, but I am freaked out about the thought of drowning.
As much as New Orleans will forever be one of my favorite places to visit, going over that super long bridge of water puts me in a silent internal panic that I just can’t explain. What if the bridge collapses? Why don’t I know how to swim after all this time? Why the heck should any sane person have to travel long distances over bodies of water? These are questions I have no answers to. But what’s crazy is that as scared as I am of drowning, I frequently compare the Christian life to being in the middle of a large body of water. You’re there in the unknown. You’re lost (or you at least feel lost), and although the water is calm at times, sometimes wave after wave hits you. The waves hurt. You’re pulled under, and you think, “I can’t possibly survive this.” But then, surprisingly, you survive it, only to continue the cycle over and over again.
Where is all of this coming from you may ask? I have no idea. These are just some crazy passing thoughts that run through my head at night while I should be asleep with Netflix playing in the background. These thoughts along with a particular scripture I read earlier are some things I can’t quite shake.
2 Peter 1:3 (NLT): By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.
I know I’ve mentioned this scripture in a previous blog, but reading it again blew my mind. This scripture is basically telling me that in the waves after waves of life, God has given me a life jacket. He won’t dare let me drown. He won’t dare leave me hanging. I may sometimes feel I’m doing this all on my own and those are the times I get overwhelmed the most. But I WILL NEVER do this Christian life alone, because that’s not the kind of God I serve. He ensures I’m always taken care of and never without His help. I can live this Christian life because He said I can! Yet, I can’t miss the most important piece of that scripture. He’s given me what I need to live a godly life, but it’s through KNOWING Him. I can’t pretend to know someone. You either do or you don’t and in order to know Him, I have to read His Word, spend time with Him, and give Him full access to my life and to my heart. If I miss that part, I miss the entire point of what’s being said, and I don’t want to miss a thing when it comes to what God wants to tell me.
Me trusting the Lord is equivalent to my love of cruises. Yes. I fear drowning. Yes. I get scared traveling over large bodies of water. But before I head out on a cruise, I pray that my family and I have a safe trip. I trust that the captain knows what he’s doing with the ship. I trust that I will enjoy my time on the water, and I trust that if any issue arises that the crew would have safety measures in place. If I can trust humans, why the heck can’t I trust their Creator?
I don’t have to live in fear of diving into who God is. I have felt (for a very long time) that the closer you get to God, the scarier life may get. I don’t have to think that way! Earlier I said that the Christian life feels like you’re in the middle of a large body of water and that wave after wave hits you. What I didn’t say is that right along with you in the middle of that water is Jesus. He takes your hand. When you’re lost, when you’re scared, when you feel like the waves hurt, there He is with his oh so cool self, reminding you of the Word of God that you need to have etched in your mind and heart. He’s right there, being your life jacket. He’s right there being your Savior. Why am I so confident in this?? Because my Jesus never lies. Fact check Him all you want. His words are eternal, and His words trump all lies. I don’t know how to swim, but I serve a God who does. My Savior has made His stance clear in Matthew 28:20— And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
Jesus, thank you for being my Lord, my Savior, and my life jacket. You will forever have my heart.
❤ Key
Amaxing5