Hanging On to a Hot Brick

Have you ever seen a child preparing to jump into a cool swimming pool on a hot summer day? She is fluttering with excitement. She begged her parents to take her swimming and when they arrive at the pool she can barely contain herself . After her parents spend an eternity slathering her with sunscreen she is ready to go. But then something happens. After she slips into the water, the anticipation turns to anxiety as she realizes that she has to let go of the wall to enjoy the fullness of the pool, but that means going into the unknown without a safety net. So instead of enjoying the refreshing water that her heart was so intent on, she hangs on to the hot bricks that form the pool's edge. Her dad tries to convince her that she is ready, reminding her of all the times he held onto her so she could practice and how eventually, she could do it on her own. Even though her dad tells her he'll be right there if she needs him, the child ends up scalding her hands hanging on to the thing that hurts her instead of releasing and trusting in her father's words that she is ready.

Recently, I realized that I've been doing this exact thing in my own life. I've had all these ideas about where I want to be and what I want to accomplish, but I've let fear of the unknown stop me. I've held on to the "bricks" in my life, even when I knew they are hurting me, because I was too scared of what was on the other side of fear. For too long I've let fear make my decisions instead of listening to the voice of my heavenly Father who has been there all along saying, "remember all the times I held you and kept you safe? You're ready for this, and I'll be here the whole time."

I know that fear is an emotion placed in us to keep us safe, but there is a huge difference between healthy fear and crippling anxiety. The bible tells us in Philippians 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication and thanksgiving let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  In Christ is perfect peace, when we live in a constant state of confusion and anxiety, we can know that those feelings are not from God. We are told in scripture that we can't live our lives in fear of tomorrow (Matthew 6:34). To live a life controlled by the "what ifs" is to live a faithless life.

So this brings me back to those bricks. While facing the recent battle, the Lord brought to mind an extremely vivid experience in my own life when I held onto something that was hurting me (indeed it seemed as though it was killing me), but when I finally released and trusted in Him, I received a greater joy than I could have dreamed. And remembering how He delivered me that time gives me the courage to release this time, and trust that He must have something amazing for me.

So I'm asking you to do something. You can do this in your head, but it may benefit you to actually write this one down. Think of a time you held on to a "brick" that was "burning" you because you were afraid of what may be in the deep. A "brick" could be a million different things: a dangerous relationship, a job that's harming you mentally, a friendship that leads you into spiritually compromising situations, or anything else that you know was keeping you from what God had for you. Remember the freedom you felt when you learned to trust in your Father instead of letting anxieties about the future run your life. The next time you feel those voices creep up that tell you there is nothing better for you in this world or that you are worthless, remember how faithful He has been to hold you when you let go and trusted in Him.