Is She In Too Deep?
Rescued People, Rescue People
Would you let her drown? Would you seriously just let her drown without even trying to save her?
I’ve been to the ocean and nothing troubles me more than to be in what I consider to be “safe waters” and a large wave comes and sweeps me up in its path and delivers me to sand I never intended to touch. I can’t stand the uncertainty of the water, so I make sure I stay in a place that, as far as I can tell, is safe for me and I can handle it.
A while ago, I was at a water park with some friends who where very strong swimmers. They wanted to try a water slide that had the disclaimer “for strong swimmers only” on it. Some of the ladies talked about it and they said they had done it before. I knew that it was not for me, so no matter how fun they made it seem, I knew that my skills didn’t match the challenge. One of my friends wouldn’t call herself a “strong swimmer” but she felt interested in seeing what it was like. She let curiosity be her guide not confidence. She wasn’t sure if she had the skill or the stamina to rebound from what the attraction had to offer, but she followed a small enthusiastic crowd to the top. She had 144 stairs to rethink her decision to go out into the deep, but she kept going none-the-less. I don’t know what she was thinking, but I know what I was thinking, but I didn’t open my mouth. So I held her room key, and a few other belongings as I watched her run off with a crowd that may have been beyond her speed.
How many times do we venture off into a situation that is more risky than what it is worth?
How many times do we follow an enthusiastic crowd that doesn’t know enough about us to offer wise encouragement? How often do we press through to the top of a summit that our discernment has told us is not for our attempting?
I can’t think of a time when I’ve felt more regret than when I let others encourage me into situations that were too risky for me to undertake. I feel a sick feeling of remorse when I let my sisters walk into situations that are far too risky, too dangerous, and life threatening without even a word of warning.
Would you let a friend walk off into the deep and not even check to see if they can swim. Can you really call yourself a friend?
Sisters, we have to do some check ins. We have to allow ourselves to be checked on. We have to stop getting offended by the questions, and know that someone loves you enough to assess the risk and encourage the development of skills to mitigate the risk safely. Are you letting your sister get in too deep with a relationship, a decision, a lifestyle?
STOP RIGHT NOW and pray for her, then call her.
Even if she rejects your questions you can rest assured that you at least tossed her a life jacket even if she refused to put it on.
My church has a tagline that says, “Rescued people – rescue people!” Let’s be that for one another.
We are praying for you! We love you!
Has anyone ever thrown you a life line? Have you ever tried to rescue someone else? Please leave a comment for us. #kickhellout #helpsomeoneout
