Living Water by Kim Hitchcock

Living Water by Kim Hitchcock
Into the Deep

It was just another big swell day in paradise, that is until a double wave hold down bummed my day. It was enough to make even the most resilient soul take pause and assess the situation. My survival instincts instantly kicked in as the desperate need to get back to the simple task of normal breathing that I take for granted every day became paramount. I’m sure, in reality, it wasn’t as bad as all that but it still shook me up pretty bad.

It was my dad throwing quarters into the deep end of the pool when I was a little girl that started my training for these extended periods without breath. And later surfing and free diving with my late husband that prepared me to plunge to the depths with less panic. But let’s be honest, it can still be terrifying when you’re being pounded and held down! But by the Grace of God, I’ve been able to resurface every time and it’s each of these experiences that better prepares me for the next.

So too is our life in God; the vastness of his love can be so daunting that we are barely able to approach Him or don’t know where to begin. Maybe we’ve been pummeled in the past and fear keeps us isolated or immobile, unable to freely explore the depths of His love. But the peace that lies beneath the surface and deep within is always there waiting on us, calling us to re-enter and try again.

After a long, tiring, unsuccessful attempt at fishing (or surfing or anything really), Jesus encourages us to once again throw our nets into the deep, even when we’ve been trying all night. (Luke 5:4) Why will we have a different result this time when we’ve tried exhaustively before? The difference is in trying alone as our little human selves with limited capacity versus being guided by Jesus, the King of the universe. With God, all things are possible (Matt 19:26). Going deeper into the unknown of God is the path, although not easy, to our ultimate stoke.

What is holding you back from taking a deeper dive into God? How might you encourage yourself and others to go deeper?

Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your billows have swept over me. Ps 42:7