Just Dive In

Just dive in.

Those were the words I heard from my swimming lesson instructor time after time. I was always the smallest kid in my swim class because I had started swim lessons early. Sometimes it was a perk, other times, not so much. Especially when the task was to dive to the bottom of the deep-end, grab a 10 lb brick and swim it back to the edge of the pool. 

I vividly remember standing at the edge of the pool, directly over the big block letters written on the cement indicating that it was 13 ft to the bottom… which meant I’d not only have to make it 13 ft down, but 13 ft back up too… all while carrying a brick that felt as if it was half my own weight. 

You can probably imagine the exact thoughts that were running wild through my head as I stood there, my toes clenching the edge of the pool. It seemed like an impossible task. I had seen almost every other kid in my class do it. And, well, they had all survived. But as I stacked myself up against the rest, I remembered that I barely came up to their shoulders. It was most certainly going to be more of a challenge for me. My nerves were not steady, neither were my knees. ‘There’s no way I can do it!’

Do those words or those feelings frequent your brain when you think about starting to read your bible again, or beginning a devotion plan, or a bible study? 

‘There’s no way I’ll get through the whole 6 weeks of this bible study.’

‘The whole book of Psalms? Isn’t that like 150 chapters?’

‘I didn’t grow up doing devotions like my friends did, so it’s probably just not for me.’

Those thoughts may or may not have run through your head before, but I’m betting that there’s been a time in your life when you’ve been hesitant to start reading your bible again or go to your first bible study, nervous to “just dive in!” 

My nerves have been unsteady, just like they were that day I stood at the edge of the pool. 

When a friend asks me to start a bible study with them… ‘There’s no way I’ll be consistent. I’ll just disappoint her and not to mention myself in the process.’

When I walk past my bible on the bookshelf everyday and think… ‘Maybe tomorrow I’ll start again.’

Have you felt your knees shaking lately, or your nerves unsteady? Has your life been flipped upside down like many of ours have been due to this world pandemic? 

Have you looked at your friends and wondered how they’re all making it look so easy, homeschooling their kids, keeping the house tidy, conquering all the DIY projects they’ve been putting off, and having a fresh cooked meal on the table every day? 

Have you wondered if this virus will impact you, or someone close to you? Or has it already? 

Have your palms started sweating every time you walk through the grocery store doors?

Have you lost sleep at night worrying how long it will last? 

Have you run out of toilet paper? (Hopefully not… but it’s an honest fear right now!)

If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably felt a little less than courageous lately. 

When I stood at the edge of the pool, knees shaking, unsteady nerves, toes clenched, I peered down into the pool… 13 feet down I knew there was a brick waiting for me at the bottom… but I couldn’t see it all too clearly. That’s a long way down! It was the unknown that frightened me the most. 

How long would it take me to get to the bottom? Could I hold my breath that long?

Would I even be able to pick up the brick if I reached it? 

How would my little arms be able to carry it 13 feet back up to the surface and all the way over to the edge of the pool again? 

What if I failed? 

More than ever, we are living in a time of the unknown. You know exactly what I mean. 

And more than ever are we being tempted by the devil to give in to our sinful flesh, to skip Sunday morning live-stream worship, to wake up a little later and miss our devotion time, to cancel our weekly bible study with our friends since we can only meet virtually anyways.

During this time of so many unknowns I urge you to,

“...put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:13-17

Just dive in. 

No longer do those words only sound from my swimming lesson instructor as I nervously faced the unknown, they sound loud and clear from your Heavenly Father. Dive into His Word, His promises, His love. Take on His confidence, His omniscience, His power! 

Your palms may still sweat. Your knees may still shake. But trust in the One who stands steady by your side... always. Trust in God. Read His promises to you. Read of His love for you. Nothing is unknown to Him.

Just dive in.