Kick Like a Little Fish

I recently had the joy of watching my brother teach his 18-month-old son how to kick his little feet in the water.  He was singing this cute song he’d picked up at Julian’s baby swim lessons:  “Kick, kick, kick like a little fish…” And Julian would kick and giggle with glee.  Such sweetness! 

That evening, as I was getting ready for bed the image of Julian in the pool came to mind, and I began to hear my Father’s voice. “Connie, kick, kick, kick, like a little fish.”  I recalled as my sister (the early-childhood educator) and I were standing off to the side of the pool that afternoon, she said quietly as she observed Julian in the pool with his daddy:  “This is where trust is built.”

This is where trust is built.  In this big pool of life the encouragement of our Father is to “kick, kick, kick like a little fish.”  The God of the universe cheers us on – “I got you.  Keep kicking.  We’re going somewhere.” 

As Julian kicked his little feet in his floating raft, he was not the least concerned, or even aware for that matter, that he’s technically not strong enough yet to move himself from one part of the pool to the other.  Julian needed his daddy to pull him along. 

And so his daddy did. 

He pulled him in the raft. He flew him like superman in his hands over the water. He helped him float and moved him from one end of the pool to the other. 

And, he never took his eyes off of Julian. 

Our heavenly Father never takes his eyes off of us.  While he’s cheering us on with each little kick, like Julian, we think we're moving ourselves somewhere. “Look at me go!” But it’s our Heavenly Father doing all the hard work, and inviting us into the joys of surrender and learning to trust him.  He carries us over the waters (like superman!).  He holds us up in the deep end of the pool.  He guides us through the waters of life.  He is doing the hidden work that we cannot see or understand just yet.  Our job is to keep kicking (and giggling!) and learning to trust Him.

Learning to trust, like a toddler.

Starting Unveiled has certainly felt like one of the most significant "trust falls" in my life.  While in hindsight I can clearly see how God planted this dream in my heart and very specifically prepared me for this season, his timing was quite different than my own.  Just a year ago I would not have expected to be stewarding the Unveiled vision full time, but I've learned that the Lord's timing usually either feels way too slow...or way too fast!  His timing is never our timing because his ways are not our ways, and his thoughts far higher than our own.  

This is where the rubber meets the road.  If we are to pursue the call of God on our lives, we must learn obedience at all cost. There is no way around it.

Here we are in the middle of the pool (ok for real, it's more like an ocean but I'm trying to stick with my storyline!).  So anyone else having flashbacks of the past year we spent happily singing Hillsong's "Oceans" in church?  You know those beautiful lyrics: "Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders..."?  Yep.  Those prayers? Answered. :)

I don’t have it all figured out. But I’m kicking my feet like a little fish. Don’t know exactly what this will all look like in the end. But I’m kicking my feet like a little fish.  Can’t see how he’s gonna work it all out.  But I’m kicking my feet like a little fish.  

And my Father is leading.  He is guiding.  And I am learning to trust Him.