Dan was telling us this past Sunday how he remembered learning to swim as a boy at the home of his neighbor, Jim O’Hare. Dan’s father, Bob, spent hours trying to get Dan to jump into his arms and trust him – which Dan could never do. Finally, Bob got him up on his shoulders and walked around to the diving board – to the deep end of the pool.

Dan described his fear – he was screaming the whole time, because he was headed to the one place he was terrified of, the deep end. But Bob walked out to the end of the diving board and jumped off with Dan on his shoulders.

Dan was terrified, BUT, when he got out of the pool he was ecstatic because he “did it”!

Yes, he did it – but not on his own. His fear had kept him from doing it himself, and it wasn’t until his Dad forced him to do what he knew he was capable of doing all along that he finally “did it.” It was Bob who knew that all it would take to let the love and enthusiasm in Dan’s heart take over was to give him a nudge.

God is calling us into the deep end, just like Bob called Dan as a boy. And, like Bob, when our fear takes over and keeps us from doing what we are capable of, God will take us into his arms and help us gently into the deep end.

The most important thing we need to remember is that God is there with us; we are not alone. He is, in fact, helping us to do what he created us for.

These memories from Dan are so poignant and convicting.

While I am dwelling on the mental picture of me jumping to God, and him holding me and protecting me, I then hear Dan say from the Scripture, “and he will bring health to your bones”.

Needless to say this got my attention. God calls me into the deep end for my own good, and he will bring “health” to me!

Will I allow him to nudge me into the deep end?