Choosing To Swim

I’m sitting here at 10:59 pm on a Saturday night asking myself, “What could I possibly have to say to readers about faith and spirituality? I’m no teacher, what am I doing here? People will think I’m a hypocrite. They will surely regret asking me to be a part of this if they don’t already!” (Mind you, all I have submitted up to this point is an about me survey.)

That is precisely what happens when who the world says I am takes over in my mind. The voice in my head gets ugly. I can either drown in these lies or swim towards the warm light of God’s grace. So I pause, close my eyes, take a deep breath, and open my bible. I choose to swim even though I want to hide. There will be no drowning today because I trust Him.

I pray and ask, “What do you want to say?” This question reminds me of 2 Corinthians 12:9: “My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness.” While flipping to this passage a previously underlined verse catches my eye in chapter four. I read on a little and find 2 Corinthians 4:13: “It is written: ‘I believed; therefore I have spoken.’ With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak.” There it is. We speak because we believe. Simple, isn’t it?

My assertion of not being a teacher is still correct, but thank goodness I’m not unable to share what God has done in my life just because I am not a teacher. I confess I deeply regret not having journaled all the amazing things I’ve witnessed God do in my life. Because now I sit here and kick myself for not being able to articulate them well since so many details have faded.

But what never fades is the awe that has filled me each and every time He has shown up. From seemingly small things–like placing a hand on the dying washing machine last week while begging God to bring it back to life, and before I can finish my plea it is spinning again! (You laugh or roll your eyes, but it totally happened and I stood there for a whole minute with my jaw on the floor)–to big things like finally having independence as a single mother who for several long years didn’t see how that could be possible. The people in my life got to watch that play out right before their eyes. No need for me to figure out how to share that story, everyone saw! It wasn’t possible without God’s grace and intervention. They knew it and I knew it.

When paying attention to God’s work in my life, it becomes clear that my imperfections are a great platform to use when talking about what an amazing God we have. I don’t need to be embarrassed or afraid. That would be to assume that only some of us fall short of the glory of God and that I happen to be in that category.

News flash–we are all in that category! Despite all my past and present failures, shortcomings, and flaws He loves me. He forgives and continues to show up in ways that continue to surprise me. Shouldn’t we all be able to and want to share these works with each other and the world? Yes! Are we supposed to keep them to ourselves because we let the condemning voice of the world we live in tell us we are hypocrites? Nope! Isn’t our weakness the very thing that makes His work so incredibly amazing and worth talking about? Absolutely!

Great! Now that we’ve established that, let me ask you:

What opportunities are you missing because “that is for someone more qualified”?
Can you identify ways that the enemy will capitalize on you succumbing to that lie?
Can you identify ways God will use those opportunities for your good and His glory?
Will you choose to swim today and ask God to help you keep swimming tomorrow and the day after?

Feel free to share your answers in the comments section below, I’d be honored to pray for you!