Mommy Moment…
I was just nineteen that first summer with sweet baby Danielle. I wanted to be a good parent, so I thought the two of us should take mom and tot swimming lessons. It sounded like the thing to do. There were several other mommies in the class with their infants.
All was great that first week. The instructor had us play in the water with our babies. We worked up to blowing in their faces and dunking them under water. But, at the beginning of the second week, the instructor told us to stand on the edge of the pool and drop our babies into the water… just drop them!
Are you crazy?! No way!! She was a good instructor, sure, but that’s MY baby. I don’t know if I can trust that lady with MY baby.
Well, she eventually talked me into dropping little Danielle. The instructor was right there. Danielle popped up and swam right to her. Danielle was fine. I, on the other hand was traumatized. I never took that class with any of the other kids!
I did however stand in the pool and coax them into jumping to me when they were a little older. I remember standing there with my arms stretched out toward them. “Jump! You can do it. I’m right here. I promise, I will catch you.” After a few moments, they would jump in. I was always right there to catch them. I have a couple kids that took a bit more convincing. I had to stand a little closer and actually hold their hand as they jumped. After doing it that way a couple times they were comfortable enough to jump right to me.
I've done the same for our grandchildren. One little granddaughter had no such hesitation. Even when she was tiny, she would just come a running and jump right in. I had to be watching that little one all the time. She had NO fear.
I’ve felt like that little one who is afraid to jump in my everyday life. I see that pool called “the future” and I am afraid to trust God to catch me. I want to trust Him. I know He loves me. I know He is trustworthy. But… will He really catch ME? Am I worthy to be caught?
Have you ever felt that way? I struggle right there… all too often.
As a young mother, I struggled on that ledge a lot. He was there to catch others, but would He really catch me? Would He really help me be the mommy my children needed and deserved?
A year and a half ago when Danielle first asked me to write a few stories. I struggled again. Last month, when I knew that the stories were in book form and ready to be published, I was… once again… right there on that ledge. I wanted to jump in… to trust Him… but I wondered if He would be there to lift me up out of the water. Would He reach out and hold my hand?
Sweet Mommy, it’s ok to struggle. It’s ok to wonder if He is there. But, Honey, you just gotta trust Him… I’ve got to, too. He has given us great responsibilities as mothers, but He is right there… reaching out His hand to you… and to me. He is our Father. We can trust Him.
Listen carefully... Can you hear Him? He is saying, “I’m right here. I promise, I will catch you.”
Mommy you got this!!
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