A Hard Swim

I went snorkeling in Mexico, before we got in the water, they made us aware that we could not set our feet down in certain areas because of the reef. They warned us that if we weren't super strong swimmers to blow our life jackets up before we got into the water. I thought... I'm not a weak swimmer, I can swim, but little did I know how long we were going to be out in the water. So, I got into the water, with my life jacket on, but not blown up, because I thought I'd be all good. After about 2 hours of swimming... I realized how tired I was, my sister asked "aren't you tired?, is your life jacket blown up?" The reason she asked this is because as I was kicking my feet to stay above the water, my entire family was just chilling, relaxing, and catching their breath. All of a sudden I realized my legs were tired, my arms were tired, I was tired. I looked to the shore to see if I could reach it just for a moment to catch my breath, to relax for just a moment, but it was too far, I would be even more exhausted if I tried to reach the shore.

This is life. We think we can take on what lies ahead all alone, we think we are strong enough, but eventually, at some point, we see how tired we are, how much we desire to lift our feet up, to give our entire body a break. We become exhausted. Sometimes we just need to blow up our life jacket, we need to let it take the weight, the heaviness, the exhaustion, and just let us rest, and let it hold us up. Now of course, our life jacket, is God. I am a stubborn person. I can be very persistent, I like to do things on my own, I want to show I am capable. This can be good, but it can be bad. With God, it has me leave Him out of the equation at times, because I believe I can do it, I don't need help. I don't need to blow up my life jacket. But in reality, I do. I can't do it on my own. I need to rely on Him. If I did everything on my own, I wouldn't get anything done, I wouldn't be able to achieve anything, I would fail, I would mess up, and I would get tired, to the point that I would collapse. We need to get to the point of understanding that we were not created to do it on our own and we CAN'T do it on our own. He created us to live a life WITH Him, not a life that excludes Him. He didn't create us and say, do it on your own, He wants us to rely on and rest in Him, to LEAN INTO Him, not let go of Him. I think often times we feel strong enough, good enough, or even feel bad if we ask God for help, but we need to recognize, humble ourselves, and see that on our own, we are weak, we aren't enough, but He comes and uses our weakness and uses them to amplify His strength.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

If you try and do it on your own, you will get tired, there is no doubt. But to do it with Him, He takes our weakness, and takes our exhaustion, He takes it all and uses it to show His strengths, and picks us up, carrying us in our exhaustion. Lean into Him, give Him your weight, and exhaustion, He can handle it, know His burden is light. He tells us to bear one another's burdens, He wouldn't tell us to do something He isn't doing on His own. So blow up your Life Jacket, the swim is long, it's hard. Humble yourself, know Christ is the strength, and power, you are incapable on your own.