Waters Too Deep
(Originally posted August 7, 2011)
A few weekends ago, our church had a baptism in the pool of one of our church members and good friends. We've swam there many times, but this particular day I watched a close friend charter the waters of baptism and be made new in Christ. What an incredible blessing. Later, after a few more baptisms we enjoyed a great afternoon of fellowship with one another-in the pool and on the largest man made "slip-n-slide" I have ever seen.
As the crowd started slimming, I checked my watch and realized it was about time to go pick up Will from Cliff's mom's house. Not wanting to interrupt the fun that my boys were having in the pool together, I hollered to Cliff (as he and Tory chunked Walker into the deep end) that I was going to get Will and I'd come back for them. Off I went...
Several weeks back, our friends' pool sprung a leak. Water fills most of the pool still, but it's shallow enough where Walker can easily touch. He's taught himself how to "swim" in this pool, as we've let him get in it without any flotation devices. He's done a great job and we are super proud of him! He knows that when he gets tired, all he has to do is put his feet down and he will find rest. We have talked endlessly with him about how he is to never, ever get into another pool without his life jacket or floaties on. We've explained the danger that can come, the possibilities that exist. We've warned and warned about what "drowning" means and in the best way we know how tried to instill a desire to obey us in this situation. We thought we'd succeeded.
Upon my return to the pool this particular day, someone says "Here, I'll hold him (referring to Will), so that you can go and deal with that..." and I look over to see Cliff very close to Walker's face talking sternly, yet lovingly the way that only a Daddy can truly do. I could see love and fear, anger and thankfulness written all over Cliff's face in that moment and I knew something major had happened.
Cliff knew I'd be back soon and had gotten he and Walker out of the pool. He took Walker outside the fence the pool is inside, and had him sit on the ground while he helped roll up the large man made slip-n-slide with a few other men. All the while, keeping his eye on Walker who was a good short distance from him. Even though he was not in the confines of the pool, only a fence separated him and Cliff was aware of that. It happened before Cliff could even realize what was going on...Walker was up and jumping into the deep end of the swimming pool...without his life jacket. He aimed for and successfully landed on a small orange float, and for the moment was secure. Cliff was there in an instant. But as Walker tried to paddle to the edge, the float (which seemed in his eyes to be his sturdy safety when he jumped on it) began to wobble and he began to fall in. Cliff was in the water and had his hands on him before he could fall.
Walker had no idea the harm that could come to him from this small act of disobedience. He had no consideration of how this once small "bad choice" he made could bring so much pain to those around him. He had no understanding of what one dance with the devil could have resulted in, otherwise I have to believe he would have chosen not to do it. But, his father, who loves him more than life itself...who would give his life for him over and over and over was there-to catch him, to hold him, to keep him from sinking, to love him, to show compassion to him even when he was disobedient, to wrap his arms around him and show love, when he felt anger, to praise God Almighty for giving him the often unrecognized gift of eye sight so that he might witness his beloved son stumble into darkness, to pull him out of deadly waters, to raise him up where life prevailed, to teach him, to discipline him, to love him, to be his strong tower...to save him. That's exactly what this father did.
He knows this kind of love because his Father, his Heavenly Father, has taught him how to love in this way. He loves because God first loved him.
Isn't is the same with us? How often do we have a vague sense of the harm that temptation can bring...the pain and suffering it can cause those who love us, and more importantly our Heavenly Father? How often do we dive too deep into sin because it's waters look refreshing? How often do we dismiss the teachings and warnings of our God to satisfy an inner desire? And sometimes we have not the faintest idea what troubles will come, what adversity we will face because of our disobedience. But God, because He is a God of love, is there to catch us, hold us, to keep us from sinking, to love us, to show us love when He feels anger, to give us reason after reason to praise Him, to raise us up to where life prevails, to teach us, to discipline us, to love us, to be our strong tower...to save us. That's exactly what our Father does for us.
And so I found myself looking deeper into my motives, into my actions and thoughts this past week and I pondered what God had for me in this situation...and it's been quite a journey, an undeniable revelation that He is in fact, Father...a loving Father...and Father who just wants the best for us. He is our Creator and the God Most High. He knit us together in our mother's womb-and we are no accident, no matter what the circumstances of our arrival were. No matter the circumstances of our life and the choices we've made...we are carefully thought out plan, woven together with love by a God who MEANT for us to live... Who always has our best interest at heart. Sometimes the waters of sin look refreshing, and sometimes even for a short moment they are...but the waters of sin are always destructive-we may land on the deceptive flotation device Satan has thrown out to make us feel safe and sturdy for a moment, but eventually rough waters will come and when they do, our Almighty God is there. Just like the earthly father jumped into a pool of waters too deep and rescued his son who he loves more than life itself, so our Heavenly Father is there-already in the depths of waters too deep with arms outstretched waiting to catch us. God is love.
"The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it and is safe." -Proverbs 18:10
A few weekends ago, our church had a baptism in the pool of one of our church members and good friends. We've swam there many times, but this particular day I watched a close friend charter the waters of baptism and be made new in Christ. What an incredible blessing. Later, after a few more baptisms we enjoyed a great afternoon of fellowship with one another-in the pool and on the largest man made "slip-n-slide" I have ever seen.
As the crowd started slimming, I checked my watch and realized it was about time to go pick up Will from Cliff's mom's house. Not wanting to interrupt the fun that my boys were having in the pool together, I hollered to Cliff (as he and Tory chunked Walker into the deep end) that I was going to get Will and I'd come back for them. Off I went...
Several weeks back, our friends' pool sprung a leak. Water fills most of the pool still, but it's shallow enough where Walker can easily touch. He's taught himself how to "swim" in this pool, as we've let him get in it without any flotation devices. He's done a great job and we are super proud of him! He knows that when he gets tired, all he has to do is put his feet down and he will find rest. We have talked endlessly with him about how he is to never, ever get into another pool without his life jacket or floaties on. We've explained the danger that can come, the possibilities that exist. We've warned and warned about what "drowning" means and in the best way we know how tried to instill a desire to obey us in this situation. We thought we'd succeeded.
Upon my return to the pool this particular day, someone says "Here, I'll hold him (referring to Will), so that you can go and deal with that..." and I look over to see Cliff very close to Walker's face talking sternly, yet lovingly the way that only a Daddy can truly do. I could see love and fear, anger and thankfulness written all over Cliff's face in that moment and I knew something major had happened.
Cliff knew I'd be back soon and had gotten he and Walker out of the pool. He took Walker outside the fence the pool is inside, and had him sit on the ground while he helped roll up the large man made slip-n-slide with a few other men. All the while, keeping his eye on Walker who was a good short distance from him. Even though he was not in the confines of the pool, only a fence separated him and Cliff was aware of that. It happened before Cliff could even realize what was going on...Walker was up and jumping into the deep end of the swimming pool...without his life jacket. He aimed for and successfully landed on a small orange float, and for the moment was secure. Cliff was there in an instant. But as Walker tried to paddle to the edge, the float (which seemed in his eyes to be his sturdy safety when he jumped on it) began to wobble and he began to fall in. Cliff was in the water and had his hands on him before he could fall.
Walker had no idea the harm that could come to him from this small act of disobedience. He had no consideration of how this once small "bad choice" he made could bring so much pain to those around him. He had no understanding of what one dance with the devil could have resulted in, otherwise I have to believe he would have chosen not to do it. But, his father, who loves him more than life itself...who would give his life for him over and over and over was there-to catch him, to hold him, to keep him from sinking, to love him, to show compassion to him even when he was disobedient, to wrap his arms around him and show love, when he felt anger, to praise God Almighty for giving him the often unrecognized gift of eye sight so that he might witness his beloved son stumble into darkness, to pull him out of deadly waters, to raise him up where life prevailed, to teach him, to discipline him, to love him, to be his strong tower...to save him. That's exactly what this father did.
He knows this kind of love because his Father, his Heavenly Father, has taught him how to love in this way. He loves because God first loved him.
Isn't is the same with us? How often do we have a vague sense of the harm that temptation can bring...the pain and suffering it can cause those who love us, and more importantly our Heavenly Father? How often do we dive too deep into sin because it's waters look refreshing? How often do we dismiss the teachings and warnings of our God to satisfy an inner desire? And sometimes we have not the faintest idea what troubles will come, what adversity we will face because of our disobedience. But God, because He is a God of love, is there to catch us, hold us, to keep us from sinking, to love us, to show us love when He feels anger, to give us reason after reason to praise Him, to raise us up to where life prevails, to teach us, to discipline us, to love us, to be our strong tower...to save us. That's exactly what our Father does for us.
And so I found myself looking deeper into my motives, into my actions and thoughts this past week and I pondered what God had for me in this situation...and it's been quite a journey, an undeniable revelation that He is in fact, Father...a loving Father...and Father who just wants the best for us. He is our Creator and the God Most High. He knit us together in our mother's womb-and we are no accident, no matter what the circumstances of our arrival were. No matter the circumstances of our life and the choices we've made...we are carefully thought out plan, woven together with love by a God who MEANT for us to live... Who always has our best interest at heart. Sometimes the waters of sin look refreshing, and sometimes even for a short moment they are...but the waters of sin are always destructive-we may land on the deceptive flotation device Satan has thrown out to make us feel safe and sturdy for a moment, but eventually rough waters will come and when they do, our Almighty God is there. Just like the earthly father jumped into a pool of waters too deep and rescued his son who he loves more than life itself, so our Heavenly Father is there-already in the depths of waters too deep with arms outstretched waiting to catch us. God is love.
"The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it and is safe." -Proverbs 18:10
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