Falling Into God

When I was young, I was afraid of going underwater without holding my nose, with my fingers, for fear of getting water up my nose. That hinders your fun when it comes to swimming. During my 5th and 6th grade years of elementary school, I was blessed with an amazing 5th grade teacher. She would take myself and two of my best friends from our class camping at Fore Lake in the Ocala National Forest. This sounds odd for today, but back then, our parents knew her, trusted her and us girls loved it.

The camping trips were filled with campfires, s’mores, walking trails, laughing, swimming, fishing, and having fun. Memories I will never forget!

But there was a fear I had to overcome … the floating dock that was inside the roped off area where we swam. I could not enjoy the dock because the water was over my head. I could not play with my friends because they could swim, and I could not. I was scared to learn to swim because I knew I would have to put my face in the water. What if the water went up my nose?

My teacher knew this. She said, I’ll teach you to swim. I could dog paddle. Wasn’t that swimming? Nope. She had a plan. We walked out about chin deep for me in the water. She turned her back to me and said, put your arms around my neck. I was scared. But she encouraged me to hold on tight and I did just that! As she walked towards the dock and the water was now over my head, I glanced back towards the beach which was getting farther behind us. I became anxious because I now depended on the one carrying me to take me where I needed to go. I turned around, faced the dock, and looked ahead because I trusted the one carrying me.

When we got to the floating dock, my teacher said, grab hold of the ladder and climb up onto the dock. When I got up there, I looked around and could see the whole lake from a new perspective. It looked different from where I stood now. It also seemed farther from the shore. The water was dark with some light sandy spots on the bottom, but I knew it was over my head!

My friends were so happy I was there to join them. They ran and jumped into the water. My teacher was down in the water and said, “I want you to jump to me. It’s okay to hold your nose. I will catch you.” I trusted her and knew she would do what she said. As I looked down at her, with her arms open and her hands stretched towards me, I placed my fingers on my nose, squeezed it shut tight and jumped towards her.

Just as she said, she caught me, and my head did not go under the water at all. How exciting! We did this a few times until she would let me go under the water, holding my nose, and be there when I came up. Then she said, “I want you to get on your knees at the edge of the dock, put your hands over your head and bend forward. Then pretend you are trying to touch the water with the tip of your fingers and fall forward slowly. I will be right here to catch you when you come up. Blow air out of your nose and I promise no water will go up your nose.”

I had done so well at jumping to her holding my nose, was I ready for this? My friends and teacher were saying, you can do this, but my heart was telling me, no! I was scared. But I wanted to fall into the water and overcome my fear. I focused, looking into her eyes, and trusted she would be there when I came out of the water. Deep breath. Lean over. Put my hands over my head. Slowly put my head down and fell forward into the water. KER-SPLASH!

I went down a little and as I turned to come back up, my feet touched the sandy bottom. I pushed upward and shot out of the water! My teacher was there to catch me. She put her arms around me, and everyone yelled. I had done it! I conquered a fear of water with encouragement and love.

Just as when I was a 10-year-old child overcoming a fear of water, today, God has been calling me to a place of freedom in worship. I have quickened my spirit many times for fear of what others may think. Will my worship offend some? I have been to churches that are so predictable any praise or worship out of the usual or ordinary offends some churchgoers.

“Hallelujah! My soul, praise the Lord. I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing to my God as long as I live.” Psalm 146:1-2 (CSB)

Praise Jesus, that is not so at the church I attend. So why do I feel a fear to worship at times? I will not let God have freedom He wants with my praise. On a recent Sunday morning, during pre-service prayer, as I prayed and talked to God, I said I really need to fall into You, God. But I am not sure what that looks like. Falling into God. God, you are omnipresent; present everywhere at the same time. How do I fall into something or someone that is all around me?

I fell into the water learning to swim and the water covered me. I allowed myself to fall into something … and when I came out, I had overcome my fear.

But falling into God … I wanted the freedom in worship to be close and intimate with Him and that my worship looked like what He wanted it to look like. I knew it would involve coming against my own intimidation and fear. As I began to worship and praise Him, He became greater, and I became less. God met me where I was that morning. I felt my spirit begin to fall into the middle of God. He took over and I became a participant. He began doing a work through me and in me. As I worshipped, I could feel the excitement and the glory experience in the room.

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power,

love and sound judgment.”

2 Timothy 1:7, CSB

Don’t let the fear of stepping into your time with God cause you to miss out on the excitement of falling into God. Close your eyes if you need to and begin to worship. Your worship may be what brings the glory down! It may bring the power of healing, deliverance, or freedom from addiction.

Customs and traditions are good for holidays, but not church. Don’t keep looking back at the beach like I did where I knew the water is shallow and there was no chance of getting water up my nose. Jump in and experience all that God has for you. Ask of Him, and then freely receive! Encourage one another and build each other up in the Lord.

I pray God blesses you and that you and your family have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving!

“Now glory be to God, who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of—infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes.”

Ephesians 3:20