My 10-month-old grandson and his friends recently started swim lessons at my home. Watching them in their parent's arms, I noticed some embraced this experience, sailing straight through as if they were swimmers. In comparison, the ones without fins were petrified of the oversized bathtub!
Trying to explain to a little human learning to swim is for their survival is like explaining to a teenager why they can't have unlimited access to their cell phone-- neither can comprehend the dangers.
As parents, we have gained a lifetime of experience and knowledge which helps us guide the little ones we treasure and develop emotional muscles they will need.
At that moment, God reminded me that He has the wisdom and knowledge to teach and guide us through our fearful situations.
I often find myself facing circumstances I never asked for. Maybe you have too. Maybe your child has made life-altering decisions, and you can't protect them from the consequences of their choices. Or perhaps you have been given a health scare, and not knowing the outcome has left you emotionally paralyzed. Worse yet, death has stolen someone you love and need in your life, and you don't see how you will function without them. Maybe you're dealing with a marriage you vowed to keep till death, only to discover it's nothing but heartache and broken dreams?
A crumbling marriage is my story in this season. After two decades of praying for solutions that never came and begging for the pain to stop–God's answer came unexpectedly: He revealed I could not change my husband no matter how hard I tried, and He did not expect me to continue living this way for one more day. Faced with the choice to stay in a dysfunctional marriage or leave are both terrifying outcomes. Each of these situations is as fearful as the other when you are in the center of it. So how do we respond when we are faced with consuming fear?
Do we throw a tantrum because God allowed these circumstances, or do we cling to our Dad to get us through it? It could be a little of both! Like babies learning to swim, facing fear and uncertainty is more than we would have chosen.
We want fear and uncertainty to stop! Desperately staying afloat, we panic, causing us to sink further into despair. Resting in the arms of Jesus by trusting Him keeps us from drowning. As we trust Him fully, we feel the weight of our circumstances lifted.
A weightless sensation will replace our sinking despair.
We look to our Rescuer for reassuring safety, saying "You are going to be ok; I am with you. I am keeping you from going under. I will not let you go! For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand: it is I who say to you Fear not, I am the one who helps you." Isaiah 41:13 (ESV)
As I watch my grandson look into his mommy's eyes for reassurance that he is safe, we too can look into the face of Jesus and know we are safe in His arms, and He has promised never to let us go.
Final thought: We have all faced fearful situations in our lives. But if we turn our eyes toward our Daddy, He will whisper words of immeasurable peace into our ears.
Response: Have you faced a recent situation where you felt God's indescribable peace surrounding you?
Bio:
Tricia Clark is a mom of three amazing adult children and one adorable grandson. Soon after her youngest graduated, she began to hear God’s call to share with women the importance of setting healthy boundaries within unhealthy relationships. She is excited to see where God is leading her as she ministers to women surviving destructive relationships. Feel free to pull up a chair and have some much-needed conversation.
You can find more of Tricia’s writings on Facebook under “Her Reflection”. https://www.facebook.com/OfHisEssence
