A Dip in the Nick of Time

(This reading is based on Psalm 69, read in accordance with the Revived by His Word initiative of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.)

 "I have come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me." Ps 69: 2

A few years ago I almost drowned. We were playing Frisbee in the sea at the famous Duns River Falls. The sea was fairly calm that day. Now, I'm no swimmer, but somehow that day I was in different mind space. The Frisbee was thrown outside the circle we had create, and was being pulled by the current out into the deep. I started to "swim" for it. But as a good Seventh-day Adventist when I'm in the water, I'm typically 1-2-3-4-5-6-rest with my strokes in the water. Only this time when I decided to rest; I was in too deep; the water covered my head. A good thing though, was that I was able to stand. But I had nothing left inside to put up a struggle, so I started to immediately rehearse my life - starting with that very morning how the bus had left me, and I got a ride to chase down the bus....

                                     

But no sooner than I had started the review process God sent a wave that created a dip in the water; just enough depth for the water to fall below my nostrils, so by the time I was to take in a fresh supply of breath I took in air instead of the water I dreaded was to have been my fate. I was afterward able to take just a few steps back to shore and my head was completely and safely above the water.
Now as it turned out it is possible that the top of my head could still have been out of the water, but I had no idea; consequently, I was immediately resigned to the thought that I was about to drown. How often do we hit the panic button without knowing all the facts, but more so without noting that our God is able to create a dip in the water when it would otherwise smother us to death?

Lessons:
1. Even if you're in over your head God is able to create a dip so you can breathe
2. Although it appeared I was quick to surrender to drowning, that mindset allowed me sufficient calm to immediately note the help God had sent my way.
3. Sometimes we're too busy struggling to help ourselves to note that God is trying to help us.
4. God will stop us at just the point where we can still stand.
5. Most times, perceptions are way worse than the reality
6. Isaiah 43: 2 is still true, "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee." Just replace "overflow" with overpower.

To read and/or listen to Psalm 69 and to read other related blogs, please click here.