Going Higher and Deeper

 

Growing up in my hometown there was a HUGE Public swimming pool (before they redesigned it). Why am I remembering THAT pool? Because as I look at my life, THAT pool comes to mind! The original pool had THREE parts and it was HUGE. 1. Baby pool 2. Average to deep 3. DEEP with diving boards. I only learned to swim in the wading pool of THAT original pool, yet I remember it. What I’m about to share with you mostly took place after the pool was redesigned and it too had three parts, just smaller.

So what I’m noticing is that the transitions in life remind me so much of learning to swim. Especially now as I FEEL like that little girl about to climb the ladder to jump off the HIGH Diving board! I remember learning in the “wading pool” how to hold my breath, keep my face in the water, kicking and dead man’s float. Then when I progressed to the bigger pool, I learned how to do different strokes, (breast stroke, back stroke, butterfly stroke, etc) swim with my eyes open, keep my head above the water, jumping into the water that was deep enough to JUMP in, tread water, back float etc. THEN learning to DIVE! OMG first off of the side of the pool… Learning to get in the diving position, positioning your arms, tucking your head, bending just right, and springing off the edge just right so you don’t Belly FLOP! Once we learned that guess what… NEXT was to take on the 1st diving board. Not too hard, why, because now that I knew how to dive I just had to climb a FEW steps and walk to the end and use everything I learned to GO! I’ll NEVER forget thinking oh hey I can do this! I couldn’t wait… to get off of the edge of the pool and tackle the Low diving board.

Well guess what… I didn’t realize that one day I was going to be REQUIRED by my instructor to mount the HIGH DIVE and JUMP off of it! The day I finally had to do it, I was so scared. I remember I kept changing positions in line to put myself at the back of the line. I cracked jokes, I went to the restroom I did everything to stall and try not to have to climb that SUPER TALL ladder and walk out onto that, in my mind FLEMSY, diving board and dive from THAT HIGH UP! I realized that the Higher I go when I jump the DEEPER I would go when I hit the water! I was concerned as to whether or not I could come back up for air fast enough, what if I cramped, what if (because of my size) I went all the way to the bottom, what if I couldn’t hold my breathe long enough, etc? As I look back at that experience all I can think is Man God is SO GOOD… My instructor had already figured me out… She got on my level, looked me in my eyes and said “Chiquita You got this! You can swim! You dive great… It’s the SAME thing you did on the edge of the pool.” I said pointing to the high dive, “Oh no IT’S ON THAT!” She said, “It’s the SAME board you’ve BEEN diving off of it’s just up higher.” She said, “As long as you STICK with what you KNOW you’ll be fine!” I don’t know how she finally got me up there but guess what… I climbed that ladder ALL the way up… Walked out to the edge of that diving board… and you guessed it… I JUMPED! To my surprise my formation was perfect! I hit the water just like I was supposed to, NO belly flop, and yes I went deeper but get this I had the strength and fortitude to swim back up with no problem! I remember my instructor being so excited and proud and telling my Mom how she should’ve seen me. I couldn’t wait to show my family and do it again! It was so exhilarating. I didn’t drown!!!

I said all of that to say to those of you feeling the call of God, stop procrastinating and finding excuses not to go higher! God is calling his children to a deeper level with him and it requires that we go higher in order to go deeper. The key is to listen to your instructor, the Holy Spirit, and trust in what he has already taught you and will continue to teach you. Also know that IF anything happens He’s right there to rescue you! So I say to those of you who are struggling with life’s transitions, stop the struggle, Obey God and LIVE the Life HE has for you! May God continue to bless and keep you, in Jesus name.

Much Love,

God’s Girl Chiquita