I worked as a lifeguard and swim instructor all through high
school and college, that’s how I paid my way.
I can tell you that when you need to save someone the safest and easiest
way is from the side of the pool. You
have greater strength, a better perspective, and you are in control of the
situation. Once you get in the water you
are fighting the elements, struggling for control over someone who is panicking,
and you can’t see all that is happening from that point-of-view. You see I have saved a few people from drowning. I’ve been in the water fighting to secure
them as the fought panic and struggled.
I was taught to grab onto anything that would get their attention and
hold on for dear life until they realized they were being saved and they could
relax. I once had seven kids holding
onto me as we bounced around the pool and accidentally found the slope to the
deep end. I can tell you when you are
underwater and trying to hold all the kids above water you can’t tell which
direction the shallow end is from the deep end and you have to trust someone
else to help you. My most successful and
easiest saves where when I was on the deck and I could see someone struggling
and reach out to them from the pool side or grab their inhaler and be at the
side when the arrived ready to hand it to them.
You see perspective is everything.
I’ve been listening to a variety of end of the year reviews
and I’ve been struck by how 2016 has taken on a life of its own. It’s been referred to like a person who has
taken lives, started wars, broken up famous Hollywood
couples, etc. Let me tell you it is a
moment in time. We are responsible for
our actions, our reactions, and our point-of-view. To me it is a matter of where you stand. You could be underwater, trying to figure out
which way is up or down, and to safety or into deeper trouble. Most people are bobbing in the water taking
one wave at a time to the face. There
are a small few of us who are standing on the word and promises of God. To the world this is often referred to as
giving up my choices, but in reality it is the exact opposite. God is all about free will. Every choice I make determines where I choose
to view my life from. Let’s just say
2016 had a lot of ups and downs for my family.
Many worried that I would be in the water battling the waves. That was clearly a choice, but I choose to be
sitting on the pier dangling my feet in the water, understanding the reality of
our situation. I knew that God was
standing beside me with a full view of the situation and trusting that he alone
could change things around. It was God
that gave Jesus the power to calm the sea.
Jesus decided when to use that power.
I don’t know that we would have understood the power of the story if
Jesus had immediately awoken and calmed the sea. It is important to understand that Jesus was
not mentally on the boat; his perspective was with the Father. He wasn’t caught up in the panic of the
moment, but calmly watching knowing the right time to come to the rescue so
that the disciples would understand the important of your point-of-view and the
power of our almighty God.
If your argument for not believing in God is that you want
full credit for all your accomplishments, please know you have it. But wouldn’t it be nice to sweeten the
deal? That’s what it means to follow
Christ. You still have the authority to
make your own choices, but you don’t have to make them from the middle of a
storm. You could be sitting at a place
of peace, surveying the situation and working out your alternatives with God the
Father. It doesn’t mean all your ugly
circumstances will change; it just means you have a better view point, a
stronger understanding of the situation and the ability to make wiser and often
easier moves. God is the sugar that makes
the medicine go down, but the choice is always yours.
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