I recently shared with you that a month ago made 10 years since I lost my brother. Specifically, it was a tragic drowning of an adult, who was an excellent swimmer, a much better swimmer than me. While I’ve always loved the water, his passing created an apprehension to put my face in the water when I swam. To be honest, in the months following his drowning, I couldn’t even put my face in the spray of the shower.
Yesterday, something remarkable happened to me. I’d been invited to my friend’s pool. While I had gone before, I’d really kept to the edge. I haven’t had much of an interest in deep waters since either, although I was a relatively good swimming. I know how to float and tread water. But since I lost my brother, I’ve stayed away from deep waters. If my feet didn’t touch the bottom, I had no interest. While we were at the pool, one of the girls handed me her face mask. It was a full one that covered my eyes and nose. Although I hated the feeling of my nose being restricted, I took a few breaths through my mouth and fought the panic. My friend was there and she was a good swimmer. And I also knew that I’d be able to get back to the edge of the pool relatively easily if I needed to.
Something shifted yesterday, and I was able to do something I hadn’t been able to do in ten years. Relax, breathe and swim in the deep waters. It was a feeling of exhilaration. I swam across the pool in the deep end back and forth at least ten times.
As I’ve thought of those moments since yesterday, the passage keeps coming to mind, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.” Isaiah 43:2a NIV
I pray that whatever situation that you may be facing right now and if you feel like you are swimming in deep waters, that you are comforted that God has promised to be right there with you.
Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you that no matter where we are or where we find ourselves, that you promised to be with us. Help us to be bold and to hold on to those promises.