swim. sink. stand.

Profound truths wrapped in pint-size packaging seems to be the story of my life lately.

Like the way a family trip to the beach ended up becoming an epiphany for my heart.

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You see, my daughter, at first sight of this beach started squealing with delight.  Running in and out of the water, splashing, giggling, bubbling over with the euphoria of it all.  Clearly we just don't go to the beach that often... for the wonder of this experience had not become common place for her.

She eagerly wanted to venture out deeper, holding to her Dad - or myself for safety.

I wanted to give her a taste of swimming by holding her up in the deeper waters.  When she realised the waters were over her head she started to get panicked, and clung to me like a bur.  When the footing beneath me started to swirl and soften I began to panic too.  (Swimming with a child clinging to me didn't seem that ideal).  I tip-toed back towards shallower waters, and when my foot felt a large rock, I stood.  Safe.  Secure.

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Now all of us have a knack for getting ourselves 'in over our head' at one point or another.  But sometimes life gives us a real dunking that we aren't prepared for.
Grief: maybe you've lost a loved one, or a friendship.
Depression: maybe you feel stuck in a pit you can't get out of.
Anxiety: maybe the bills and the ills are stressing you beyond your limits.

I don't know what waters you are in currently, but I think we all can relate to that panicked state of not knowing where to find our secure footing.  My own heart has been facing that ebb and flow lately of peace and worry.  trust and fear.  joy and sadness.

I thought of my daughter, panicked when the waters threatened, secure when the rock below us held firm.

The verse (song) came to mind:
"When my heart is overwhelmed,
Lead me to the ROCK that is higher than I"
Psalm 61:2

Sometimes you just need to get dunked in a lake to remember this truth.
Sometimes you just need to grab some crayons, sketch this verse out and tape it to your door.
Etch it on my heart.
Pray it through the storm.

What I've discovered afresh:

You often appreciate the rock much more when you're faced with drowning.

You savour the meal when hunger was your companion.

You have a grateful heart when you see your needs met.

You see God at work when your strength is gone.

I don't know what waters you're in currently.

Maybe you feel like no one else can see how deep you're drowning inside.

But God does.

I pray He's the ROCK that you stand on,

and the LOVE that you drown happily in.

swim. sink. stand

which posture will your heart take?

Mel ;o)