Stay Calm… He Fills the Gaps

I still remember those fun afternoons taking swimming lessons at the YWCA. As a child, I really hated getting my hair wet. I knew it meant a long night of washing out chlorine, drying, braiding, etc. But I enjoyed the water. Until one day. . .that dreadful day I almost drowned.

I was still learning to swim. I could float and do basic swim moves, but I was not ready for those deep waters. Yet, I was intrigued by all that water. I was ready to try it. While my friends were playing “safely” in familiar territory, I inched my way over to the deep end. However, as I was sliding over, I slipped on the hump that divides the shallow and the deep.

And there began thirty seconds of my life I will always remember.

Slipping, gulping, struggling, falling, fighting, gasping.

Everything happened so quickly, yet as I think of it now, it felt like …forever.

In the middle of what felt like … forever – strong arms grabbed me and pulled me back to safety and calmed my flailing arms. Tears were streamed down my face, still frightened of what “could have been.” But I was safe…God filled in the gaps.

And so it is in life, between breaths...

When we get in over our heads, slip, fall and gasp for breath, God is there. His big strong arms, that never really left us, nor will ever leave us, are holding us, protecting us, guiding us.

He fills the gaps.

We don’t need to fight or figure it out. Somehow…His mighty hands fits all the jumbled, confusing pieces together. And one day, we will look back, as I do on my “drowning experience” and realize that I was safe and all the lessons learned in those thirty seconds.

What are the gaps in your life? Where are you struggling to breathe and gasping for air? He will give you what you need between the breaths.