Hi my name is Mar and I am the Ministry Leader for Celebrate Recovery here at SUMC. It’s my honor and joy to contribute to the Lenten devotion.
When I think of the word ‘deep’, I think of going through something difficult. Being deep in the thick of it. Being deep in the weeds. Being in the deep end of the pool.
Those things feel overwhelming. Out of control. Unmanageable. It means I need to pause, access, plan and take action.
And what do I do when I feel like I’m deep in something? I use my tools that I’ve learned through the Celebrate Recovery program. Anyone can use these tools. I just didn’t learn them early in life so I have to practice them now. I used to shut down and cry. And while I still may cry, I reach out to trusted friends and talk about it. I used to isolate from God. Now, God is invited in to find the solution. God is an active part of my daily life. I pray. I look up Bible verses to ease my fears. I seek Him and an answer.
I used to not want to feel the feelings or even identify them. Everything felt just as hard and overwhelming as the next. Today, I can better identify my feelings. And rather than everything feeling the same, I have perspective. Is it ankle deep? Is it waist deep? Is it over your head deep? Knowing the depth helps determine what actions to take.
I used to avoid and not make decisions. Now I am making wise decisions based on truth.
Psalms 69:14: Save me from sinking in the mud; keep me safe from my enemies, safe from the deep water.
Now I don’t feel alone and I am safe knowing God is in control. God will lighten my load. God has hand picked those in my life to walk out of the deep water with. God has gone before me. He knows my yesterday, my today and my tomorrow. He has been in the deep with me all along. And He has made a plan to get me out of the deep.