Out of the Darkness
The Plunge
Photo By: FLickr/Clemens v. Vogelsang
I will admit I am not a fan of swimming in cold water. Even as a child, growing up in hot, hot Kansas, I wanted the water temperature above almost-ice-but-not-quite level. I could never understand those brave souls who climbed the tall, tall ladder to the high dive, flung themselves through the air, and then plunged head-first into frigid waters. No, thank you! Let me begin in the shallow end, slowly work my way to the deeper parts of the pool, and adjust to the chilled water a bit at a time, thank you very much!
Often, we view our faith the same way. We would like to stay at the steps. Maybe just dip a toe into the faith. A little damp, but not too wet. Or maybe we could make it as far as knee-depth. After all, we would be part of the congregation, but just not too involved. Hey! Let’s get really enthusiastic, and go in as far as waist-high. People will know we are very committed to God, but see that we’re not a fanatic.
You get the picture. We want God at our own comfort level. We don’t want Him taking us into places that are unknown or awkward. We want to receive the peace that knowing Him brings. We do not want to be pushed into a risky relationship with a Being we cannot see.
That’s where the analogy ends, though, my friends. We simply must take the plunge! To truly know God, we must allow Him to take us deeper and deeper into the wellspring of His love, grace, and mercy. We must allow Him to speak to us in the innermost parts of ourselves.
What does this plummet into God mean? It means giving up our own desires. It means we make the conscious decision to abandon ourselves to the control of the One who made us. Practically speaking, it means we relinquish our own plans. Our time, treasure, and talent must be put at His disposal and used at His bidding.
It may also mean setting aside what we see as vitally important. It may mean spending more time in prayer, studying God’s Word, and reading those things which will enliven our faith and make it more real. But when all is put into God’s hands, the end result will be so much better than when we try to be the ones in charge.
It’s time to take the high dive into our relationship with God.
Come on in, the water’s fine!
About the Author
Joni grew up on a farm in Kansas. She is a wife and mother who has been involved in various ministries from small towns to inner cities. After a number of years in Protestant ministry, she, her husband, and their children were received into the Catholic Church in 2007. She now resides in northeast Ohio, where she is private piano instructor. She is involved in her home parish working with music ministry. She has been blogging since 2006.
