Hopefully everyone has had a great weekend!
On Saturday, Christie, Ava and myself went to the beach. Ava used to be terrified of water. Now, thankfully, she is ok with it for the most part. We walked out onto the beach and she took off for the water. I ran after her while Christie was screaming, “Ava, you better get back here right now!!”
She returned to us. All three of us walked out toward the water. Ava let the water just touch her feet and she began shrieking humorously and retreated back to the dry sand. We walked around in the shallow water for a little while until all three of us went back to our chairs about 100 feet from the water.
Eventually Ava wanted to go back into the water. Christie told me to go out there with her. Just before we reached the water Ava looked at me and said, “Hold you Daddy.” That’s what she says when she wants you to hold her. I picked her up and immediately she said, “Deeper.” I looked at her as if I picked up someone else’s child. Certainly this was not Ava claiming she wanted to go deeper into the water. I said “Ava you want to go out into the water deeper?” She nodded.
She was latched around my neck but still pronouncing, “deeper, deeper,” as I walked out into the water. Ankle deep, knee deep, waist deep. I looked at her and she had this adventurous look on her face. I said, “Ava is this far enough?” She replied, “no daddy!”
Christie finally sang a song yesterday that I have been begging her to sing for quite some time. “Oceans” by Hillsong has quickly become one of my favorite songs. If you let that song be taken over by Christie’s angelic voice, you have something special.
Thankfully she finally sang it. It was even more amazing than I thought it would be.
Taya Smith, (in this case Christie), sings “Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders, let me walk upon the waters wherever you would call me. Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander. And my faith will be made stronger in the presence of my Saviour.”
Jesus told the disciples in Luke 5, “launch out into the deep!” That had many more implications than simply throwing a net out into the water.
Flash back to the Ava story. How many of us are completely comfortable in ankle deep water? Why? It’s easy, comfortable, safe. We can relax in ankle deep water. Sit you a chair down, grab a water, some snacks, a radio even, and just chill.
We either stay in ankle deep water our whole lives because a) we really enjoy being safe. We don’t have to do much. We are not at risk whatsoever. Or, b) we feel if we go deeper, we will be alone.
The reason Ava wanted to only go deeper into the water was because I was with her. She knew I was with her. She could cling onto me and perhaps not feel safe, or even feel no risk, but knew I was with her.
God does not call us out into the deep and makes us go alone. If the church is really being the church, you will never do anything alone. We are here for each other. To have a hand to hold, a shoulder to cry on, to stand side by side in worship, struggle, happiness. Also, God is already there. No matter the depth, God is there.
Jesus did not say, “Launch out into the shallow.” Our faith is not made stronger in the shallow, safe water of life. It’s when we really begin walking out. When we get slapped in the face by waves. When the current knocks us off our feet. It’s in those times we realize we cannot depend solely on ourselves. We must put our faith in the One who created the ocean.
So keep your eyes above the waves. Rest in His embrace. Remove the borders of your trust. We are His, and He is ours.