When You Need to Come Up for Air

There was a time when I almost drowned. 

It was a searing hot Southern summer afternoon, I was at a public pool in town with a group of friends from church. Each of my friends were in line at the diving board, ready to show off their most impressive leaps and dives. Springing from the board to the clear sky above, time would almost pause as they slowly floated through the air, only to plummet through the calm, chlorinated waters below at the enjoyment of the other swimmers splashing and swirling in the depths of blue.

It was my turn. I did not want to admit I could not swim. I was almost ten years old when I had the guts to remove the training wheels off of my bike. Swimming seemed easy enough. I would just float back to the top, right?

I grabbed the cool, metal handles anchored next to the diving board, with legs shaking, stood at the edge. I glanced over at the blistering concrete where my wet footprints were quickly fading, and the line that was quickly forming behind me of anxious swimmers ready to enjoy diving once again.

I smiled, waved to my friends already in the water, and leaped from the board.

 

I crashed through the water and began to sink to the bottom. I suddenly realized this was not the shallow end. My feet were not going to touch the bottom. I glanced around, and all I could see were a sea of feet and abandoned goggles. The pressure on my ears was a force, and my lungs were so tight I thought they may explode. I thrashed and kicked violently until my body surfaced. I waved and gasped for air as the sun beamed into my terrified eyes. The deep water pulled me in once again.

I was drowning and no one even knew. 

But there was one. One who noticed. Amidst the laughing, screaming, and music blaring from the poolside boombox, a girl realized I was not okay. She, unlike myself, was an excellent swimmer and began to wade toward me at lightning speed. To keep myself from panicking, I fixed my eyes on her as she came to rescue me. She pulled me to the side of the pool, as I coughed and gasped for air.

But that was not the first time I almost drowned. Sometimes we are drowning and we are not even in the water. 

The weight, the pressure, the feeling of alone. The panic of not knowing what will happen next.  It all is bearing down on you. And you think no one notices. Whom will save you? Whom will help?

Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.” {Matthew 8:23-26}

No matter your season in life, through wind, waves, and diving boards, there is One who notices. One who is there to help. Why are we so afraid? As you come up for air, take a deep breath and allow faith to fill your lungs.

I think I’d better learn to swim, however. But at least I have graduated to a ten speed bike.