“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and when you pass through the rivers they will not sweep over you.”- Isaiah 43: 2
In summertime the Great Snowball Wars of the 1960’s were a faded, frozen memory, replaced by the more genteel and gentrified sport of croquet- played mostly on the grass of my friend Cliff’s front lawn, complete with intersecting hazards of 2 sidewalks and “bordered” by concrete driveways. To complete the circuit, our croquet balls had to traverse those sidewalks 5 times. Yet the risk of the ball careening out of control down the block was not a deterrent, but a challenge to conquer as Cliff and I kept our eyes on the next hoop, the final post.
Once we were unequivocally confident we had discerned God’s calling to a specific ministry or vocation, perhaps even devising plans as to how our ministry or career, God-willing, would play out. Now, in the aftermath of our ministry downsizing or position loss, we’ve been plunged into a great unknown, our hopes and carefully crafted plans seemingly in ruins. Suddenly in over our heads, we sense our purpose sinking as we desperately seek Jesus’ presence to calm the fear that surround us. We long to rest in His arms.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ abounds in deepest waters. As we call on Jesus’ name and keep our eyes above the waves on Him, not our problems, we begin to release our burdens of worry, anxiety, and pseudo-control. Jesus’ sovereign hand will be our guide. When our feet may fail, our faith stands on Jesus’ promise to be with us always as we rest in His embrace, trusting without borders.
“My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.”- Psalm 62: 1-2
