Reposted from May 24, 2012

Help Me, I’m Drowning!

Yesterday I took the kids to the pool and as I heard “Help me, I’m drowning!”, I learned some very powerful lessons. After we checked in, the older two got in the water with no problem, even though at the time they couldn’t swim. Even the baby splashed about happily. But my five year-old . . . he wasn’t having it! He stood on the edge of the pool watching everyone else have fun. I tried to coax him in,  but he backed away. The closer I got to him, the more he backed away until he full-out ran to the safety of the lounge chairs nearby.

He sat for awhile watching the rest of our family have fun in the water, and what do you know . . . a little while later, he ventured to the edge of the pool again.

“I’m gonna get in, Mommy. I can do it myself,” he said hanging onto the railing for dear life.

“Babe, the water is only two feet deep. Come on in,” I tried to reassure him.

“No! Help me, I’m drowning!” he shrieked. “I’m gonna drown, I’m gonna drown!”

“Do you really think Mommy would let you drown?” I asked him, letting go of his arm, bewildered that he was acting like this.

“Yes!”

I was shocked. Really? My kid actually thought I would let him drown. What kind of parent did he think I was?!

And that’s when God dropped some powerful life lessons on me.

“Help Me, I’m Drowning!” Some Amazing Lessons I Learned

Lesson #1

As a good Father, God beckons us to “swim in the deep with Him.” Much like my little guy, we—for some reason, especially when we’re in trouble—think that He is going to let us drown.

Lesson #2

We see everyone else enjoying life, making their dreams come true and we smile and think, “Good for them.” But we often don’t have the courage ourselves to get in the water.

Lesson #3

We run to what’s familiar (in my son’s case, the lounge chairs) or “safe,” because we perceive the “water “as dangerous.

Little did my son know realize that even while he was shrieking, “Help me, I’m drowning, ” if he had stood up in the middle of the shallow end (where we were), the water would have only come up to his waist. He was never in danger of drowning! God spoke to me profoundly through this little experience. It’s all about our PERSPECTIVE! What one kid perceived as fun and adventurous, the other perceived as scary and unsafe.

In my business, there are many who look at what I’m doing from the sidelines and say, “Good job, Dana, so proud of you,” but they are not able to see themselves doing the same thing! Or maybe they perceive being in business for themselves as “scary” or “risky.” After all, what if I don’t do well? they ask themselves.

I have come to a realization that life is all about taking risks. NO ONE, hear me, NO ONE who is successful got there by playing it safe. What’s the worst that can happen? For my little guy, it would’ve been that he fell into the water and I would’ve been right there to catch him.

Trust in your loving Father who is able to keep you while you’re screaming, “Help me, I’m drowning!” The worst is that you fall and He picks you back up. Be not afraid of what might happen if you try, be more afraid of what will happen if you don’t. My passion is to see people set free from fear and limited living. Don’t be afraid of drowning. Jump in! The water’s great!!