Jesus Christ is our Life Jacket…He Won’t Let You Drown!

It was a hot summer day, and my kids were beyond excited to go swimming in our friend’s pond. Rex, who is more cautious, was a bit nervous to swim in a deep open pond, knowing he couldn’t swim. We convinced him he would be perfectly safe, as long as he had his life jacket on. Still apprehensive, the older girls explained that with the jacket it was impossible to sink below the water, the life jacket would hold him up and he could just float around and play safely. After much coaxing, Rex decided to join the others, whom all appeared to be having the grandest time. Within minutes Rex was diving off the ramp, pulling long weeds from the sides, and swimming around with all the other kids.  All the sudden, Rex was alone in the middle of the pond. Once he realized that his older sisters were out of his reach, he panicked! Terror struck him as he remembered he couldn’t swim. In panic he waved his arms in desperation, trying to keep himself afloat. At first I couldn’t understand what he was doing, he was acting like a kid who was about to drown. In fact, he was freaking out so much, I started to wonder if maybe he would drown.  I called out to his sisters to hurry to his aid. They quickly responded and started to swim towards him. Once I knew his sisters were on their way,  I started to shout to Rex, “Calm down, you have a life jacket on!” “Trust the life jacket!” “Relax!” Just as his sisters were about to reach him, he suddenly realized that he had a life jacket on, and that he wasn’t drowning.  He calmed down, leaned back and smiled as he could now enjoy the pond and all the fun happening around him. 

This was such a visual to me of life! We too have a life jacket on! Christ is our safety, and He is there to help us no matter what storm we face! The problem is that sometimes we forget and think that we are left on our own to swim. As I watched Rex panic, and yet knowing that he had a life jacket, I thought about the trials in my life, where I struggled to find the strength to carry on. All the time having my life jacket on, and that it wasn’t until I trusted the Lord, and relaxed that I could find the peace I needed, and enjoy life… even during the trial. 

How much easier life would be if we understood we are covered. If we fully trusted our life jacket, and could let Jesus do His part in our lives. Instead of panicking and struggling to survive. Often there are joys and blessing happening around us…even as the trials and tribulations exist. They are hard to recognize when all we can do is doggy paddle, praying to survive. Instead of handing the load to the Lord, and TRUSTING!!!

Next time you find yourself barely above water, drowning in fears, problems, or distresses…

“CALM DOWN! YOU WON’T DROWN, YOU HAVE A LIFE JACKET ON, CHRIST IS HOLDING YOU!”