You know when you're a kid you long to feel safe? Wether it be in your mothers arms, sleeping with your teddy bear or when you're wearing those arm floaties in the pool. You know, it's mid summer at least 110 degrees and you are ready for a day at the pool. Sunglasses, batman swim trunks and your floaties. You take that first step into the pool and you get little chill bumps and you ease into the water. There you are in the shallow end with your floaties knee deep, seeing clearly to the bottom. You splash and even sit with your head above water. It couldn't be more perfect when all of sudden.....you see....could that be? Ewwww and its yellow......Someone peed in the pool!
This is how I feel about my understanding of God. There I was....safe. I could see everything clearly. I was at the surface with my floaties. Had all the answers. At that point I wanted to feel certain rather than be correct. I wanted to be told what to do and what not to do. But as I started soul seeking and growing up I began to see the theology I believed was hurting people. The things I were taught sounded good but practical application was shaky. The single mom, the gay friend, the Buddhist, and the female pastor all came and peed in my end of the pool. Why did they have to come and pee in my end of the pool?! Now I had to get out and go to the big people pool, with the deep end!
But that pee made me take my floaties and pushed me to go to the deeper end. Away from the shallow end. At first I was scared. I couldn't see the bottom, it seemed uncertain. After some time I liked the deeper end. It challenged me and forced me to work on swimming and after time the floaties came off! I've learned that God wants me in the deep end. The things that have made me think critically, throw books and make me uncomfortable push me to seek God in a whole new way. It's exciting!
I encourage you take off the floaties and dive in! Seeking God doesn't always feel safe.
Don't take as long as I did to get to the deep end. Don't wait for someone to pee in your end of the pool.
