Drowning in Life? This is for You
I feel like I’m drowning in life the day we take the kids to my parents’ pool for a reprieve. Life has been full, and my to-do list threatens to suffocate me. Caring for the needs of three young children, juggling my writing work, maintaining friendships, investing in our marriage, and making time for self-care is nothing short of exhausting.
Perhaps you can relate.
Maybe the demands of your days feel crushing, and you feel like you’re drowning in life, too.
Today, I invite you to join me at my parents’ swimming pool, and we’ll have an honest conversation about what to do when we feel like we might just sink.
Drowning in Life
After cannonballs into the pool, we all float in the clear water, and there are squeals of laughter and shouts of joy.
Eight-year-old Bekah paddles across the pool with her newly acquired swimming skills, and I watch anxiously.
I know my girl’s got this. But I’m not sure I’m ready to let her doggie paddle beyond arm’s reach.
“I’m fine, Mom! I can do it!” she contends from the side of the pool.
It’s not that I don’t believe in her. I do. It’s just that I love her so much that I’m not quite ready to watch her sink into the depths of the five-foot swimming pool.
She pulls her foggy goggles over her freckled nose and begins her fifth trip across the water, and that’s when it happens. Her little head sinks beneath the surface of the clear water, and I stride across the chest-deep water just about as fast as a woman can run when she’s partially submerged.
I pull her from the water and to the edge of the pool where she gasps for air and chokes and collects herself in downright terrified sobs.
I Won’t Let You Drown
Kissing her on the cheek after her lungs are clear, I whisper in her ear: “I wasn’t going to let you drown, babe. I was watching.”
A few days later, I’m still drowning in piles of laundry, dishes, and to-do lists growing longer with no end in sight. I’m drowning in the mundane parts of my life that feel like an endless and often pointless cycle. I’m drowning in discouragement, fear that I’m not living this calling out as well as I had intended, and sheer exhaustion from the weight of it all.
Suddenly, a thought comes to mind. I think of Bekah sinking in the pool, and I whisper a simple prayer: “Jesus, I need you.”
What to Do When You’re Drowning in Life
Dear friend, if you feel like you’re sinking, I have good news for you today.
You don’t need to have the right words or pray the right prayer. All you need to do today is acknowledge your need and admit that you can’t pull yourself up in your own strength.
One Word will be enough to help you. Just whisper his Name: “Jesus.”
He sees you. His arm is not too short to save you. He hasn’t missed a moment.
Maybe you’ve heard the story of Jesus walking on water. When Peter saw him, he climbed out of the boat to walk on the choppy seas with his Teacher.
Sadly, Peter began to look at the wind and the waves, and he started to sink.
Similarly, when we focus only on our problems, to-do lists, and troubles, we often begin to feel like we’re drowning, too. Meanwhile, if we lift our eyes to Jesus, he is fully capable of saving us.
In the Grip of Grace
As I reflect on Peter’s story in the aftermath of Bekah’s submersion into too-deep waters, I’m struck by a powerful reality: Jesus is capable of immediately saving us the moment we begin to sink.
I didn’t save sinking Bekah because she did the right thing, called out to me with the right words, or signaled for help.
I saved her because I didn’t take my eyes off of her. My eyes were on her because I love her. I knew she was in deep waters. While I allowed her the space to practice her swimming skills with a sense of freedom, I was also ready to rescue her if things went awry.
Maybe you’re sinking fast today. Maybe you started with good intentions, but now you’re in over your head.
You might feel out of control, and you need help.
You’re not even sure what to say to Jesus, and you’re afraid you’ve drifted too far from his reach for him to save you.
Jesus is capable of immediately saving us the moment we begin to sink. #Jesus #surrender Click To TweetThe Truth About God’s Power
Whether you’ve been walking in a relationship with him for decades, or you’ve never called on his name to save you, he can pull you from this deep water immediately. Let today be the day you call on his name and acknowledge your need.
While he sometimes allows us to experience a gulp or two of water as we learn to swim, he is capable of reaching out and saving us immediately when we need saving.
Have you called his name? He is waiting.
A Free Devotional for When You Are Drowning in Life:
Does the idea of slipping away to a beautiful place to recharge and refresh sound inviting? Space for Your Soul to Stretch is my free 8-day online devotional to help you rest in God’s presence. Each day invites you to encounter God’s created world and spend time in his written Word. You will walk away from this journey replenished and refreshed each day. It is my gift to you here.
These Two Books are Free on Kindle Unlimited as eBooks and Also Available in Print:
God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free shares practical ways to experience God’s freedom, healing, power, and presence in your life. Find this life-changing book in eBook form for free on the Kindle Unlimited Plan or for 12.99 in print right here. (You can sign up for a free three-month Kindle Unlimited trial if you are not a member.) This book will transform your life and revitalize your relationship with the Lord!
Calling All Moms and Daughters!
Additionally, my 12-year-old daughter, Bekah, and I wrote a mother-daughter devotional book to help mothers and daughters grow closer together while connecting with God. Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith includes 60 devotions with Scripture, commentaries from both of us, conversation starters, and even a shared journaling section. Multitudes of mothers, daughters, mentors, and younger women are being transformed by this book! You can find this book in eBook form for free on the Kindle Unlimited Plan or buy a print copy for 11.99 right here.
