The little girl climbed eagerly up on her father’s shoulders. As he walked around In the shallow end of the swimming pool, she felt safe and secure. She laughed and giggled and patted the top of her daddy’s head. She watched with glee as he started walking toward the deep end of the pool not realizing that soon the water would creep up to cover his chest and then his shoulders. However it didn’t take long before fear began to grip her mind. What if he lost his balance, would she drown? What if the water came up over his head? What if? What if? As her father felt the tightening grip of her hand and realized that there were tears in her eyes, he gently reminded her that she was “as safe in the deep end of the pool as in the shallow end because there was nowhere that he couldn’t touch the bottom.” There was no time when he would let go of her. Knowing this changed her fears to excitement and her worries to anticipation.
Isn’t that little girl a great deal like all of us? When the waters get a little too deep, the waves seem a bit too strong, or the undertow feels like it is going to take us out to sea, we begin to feel afraid. It is so easy to let our imagination start to create situations that lead to anxiety and challenges that seem insurmountable. That is exactly when our Heavenly Father would like us to hear Him say, “Your are as safe in the deep end of the pool as in the shallow end.” He would like us to believe that our safety is in His presence and that our hope is as secure as His Word. He would like us to fully trust Him in the complexities and pain of our earthly journey. He would be pleased to share all of His resources with us as we put our faith in Him.
Don’t you love knowing that it is Jesus who “initiates and perfects our faith”? (Hebrews12: 2) If this is really true, what’s keeping you from letting go of your fears and worries, your complaints and skepticism? What’s holding you back from enjoying the ride that He has planned just for you?
