Riding in the car for consecutive hours along the highways between Tennessee and Alabama provides an immense amount of time for a variety of entertainment options to occupy the brain in order to pass the hours. Typically, for me, the media options include listening to a book on audio; however, this past trip, I opted for streaming music and I’m almost certain God was DJing this particular playlist. Either He was on the soundboard controls or the computer algorithms could see inside my head to know exactly the messages I needed to hear. I choose option number one.
As the tires hummed across the asphalt, the lyrics to a song by Casting Crowns entitled What If I Gave Everything? truly resonated in my heart; so much so, that I quickly saved the title with a screenshot for a later search online. The verse that challenged me so intensely contained these words: “So why am I still standing here? / Why am I still holding back from You? / I hear You call me out into deeper waters / But I settle on the Shallow End / So why am I still standing here?” As I pondered these lyrics, I was reminded of the topic that was shared in the July 23 post entitled Audacious Imaginations where I offered challenges from Terry Smith in Live 10 and John Ortberg in his book, If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat. These three distinctive sources all have me wrestling with the fact that I just might be choosing to remain in the Shallow End of life while God is asking me to wade into deeper waters or even to get out of the boat!
As a personality type who relishes the routine and predictability of the rhythms of life, sometimes I wonder how often I miss out on the abundant life described in John 10 and instead make a choice to remain in the Shallow End? Another verse shares: “You’ve given me a faith that can move a mountain / But I’m still playing in the sand / Building little kingdoms that’ll never stand / I hear You call me out into deeper waters / But I settle on the Shallow End.” What astounding opportunities might God be calling me to experience with Him, but I am willing to remain playing in the sand? These questions almost mirror the way I dread the challenge of Luke 17 as shared in the 2019 post Respectfully Mystified. Ironically, this card emerged once again during this past week!
Being a rather stubborn daughter at times, I wonder how many times God will continue to repeat these all-important questions that stir my soul until I finally take a step out of the Shallow End? My hope is that He never relinquishes these attempts to make waves in my thoughts and heart but will continue loving me until I finally hear His plea. Deep in my heart I want to see mountains move, but I feel reluctance to request these miracles for some reason. Thankfully, God can be fairly persistent and when the message of Scripture doesn’t seem to sink in, He will send song lyrics and even poems and a thousand other messages that I am holding Him, and myself, back from abundance when I remain in the Shallow End. So, I am choosing to Ask Him Again to take my hand and lead me out of the Shallow End and into deeper waters with Him. One day, I might even muster the courage to ask to walk on water! Ok, maybe not, but it would be an awfully cool experience!
Grateful that my stubbornness to listen to His stirring of my soul is no comparison for His greatness, I challenge myself to take a deep look inside and investigate just where in my life He might be asking me to leave the Shallow End and follow Him into deeper waters. Has God ever challenged you in this way? How might our attempt at bravery be extended into the lives of students, friends, and family members who might be hesitant to dive deep? Please feel free to share in the comments below times when you were courageous enough to leave the Shallow End and were blessed.
References:
Elness, T. (2020). Ask him again. Her View From Home, LLC. Retrieved from https://herviewfromhome.com/faith-ask-him-again/
Hall, J.M., Hemms, B. & West, M. (n.d.). What If I Gave Everything? [Song]. On The Very Next Thing. Casting Crowns. Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing, Ltd. Link to song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tP27ySgbYLU
Ortberg, J. (2014). If you want to walk on water, you’ve got to get out of the boat. Zondervan.
Smith, T.A. (2013). Live 10: Jump-start the best version of your life. Thomas Nelson.
Flourishing @ Life 
This blog was really good to read personally, because I have been wondering about stepping out more and doing more for he church and community. The “shallow end” is so easy to stay at because it does not come with any trials or tribulations, while if we get in the boat or just wade into the deeper end we will encounter big waves which are the obstacles in our life. In surfing it easy to sit in the shallow ends where the water is calm for the most part, but we do not experience the actual waves, which signifies the exciting trials and activities we do in our lives. Once we swim out deep we are able to surf the wave and this is our service, which could be volunteer work in our community and speaking the word of God. The waves are bumpy and we might fall off, which is the obstacles in life, but without taking a leap of faith outside the shallow end we will not get anything done.
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As I was reading this post, one phrase kept popping in my head. That phrase was “get out of your comfort zone, go into the deep end.” Growing up, I have always struggled with anxiety. I always thought there was something wrong with me because I could never push myself out of my comfort zone. I knew that I needed to trust God and cast my worries on to Him, but I could rarely make myself do it. However, this post made things click. It reminded me of God’s strength and His love for me. I am looking up the song you mentioned right now and I can’t wait to listen to it over and over again!
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