The shallow end of the pool

I think I have finally answered, for myself. the reason so many people seem to gather in the shallow end of the pool when it comes to matters of faith. Ir has always bugged me. It seemed clear that if you have something and it is good, you would want more of it. Yet what could be more good yet people get wet enough to know they are in the water and there they stay.

I have supposed that people got a little wet and then stayed where they were because they could remain mostly unchanged by the water that way. Sure you had to make some small adjustments to allow for the presence of the moisture but really you were still in command and you could dictate how the water interfered with your life. Going deeper presented more interference. It took more effort to stay in these waters, especially places where your feet didn't touch. Other challenges presented themselves and required attention, stuff in the water you had previously been able to step around. It is less secure there, more trust is needed, less seems to be ultimately in our control. Who would want that??? Only those who's desire for more, who's increasing dissatisfaction with the shallow end and those who have gone to deeper waters and call back encouragement, invitation, urgency. In part I still believe this.

Now I believe in addition there are others in the pool who stand out of the shallow end, still not necessarily into the water whether the bottom is not measurable, and give conflicting advise about where to go next. And they, having gotten so excited about the method they took to journey where they are, they have forgotten to go on. Actually they have forgotten why they left the shallow waters to begin with but they are feverish in their study of the method. Each holding his own to be best and each standing along the way to invite you too to stop with them and celebrate. It becomes so loud and confusing and conflicting that only those who set out determined to find more seem to be able to go on.

How did we get so confused? I used to think these were folks who were all about themselves not about God and they just found a way to create a following. Now I feel less so and more convinced that the ability to push on beyond our need to understand, to get beyond method and into joy of the water is a very hard thing to do. When the whole reason we are there is to be absolutely soaked it's hard to see how we got fascinated about what method we used to move through the water. Yet I can point to a hundred books that prove the point.

So I want to spend more time talking about the water, the depth of the love God has for us and maybe let Him tell you how to swim deeper. Maybe each of us has the stroke prepared just exactly for us and while hearing about each others is encouraging and inspirational and perhaps even affirming, maybe we should remember that ours will be unique to us and when we hunger to learn it, God will be faithful to teach us. What I know for sure it the water is wonderful, come on in and see for yourself.