Out Of The Depths

Water represents so many things. It is part and parcel of life itself. The first day of creation the earth was essentially covered with water with no land at the surface. It had to be here before the wonders of life, including ourselves, were created that exist to this day.

Genesis 1:2 “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of

the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” NKJ

Water represents cleansing, both physically and spiritually. We bathe to clean dirt off, to get rid of what settles on us during the day, especially after a lot of activity whether it is work or sports. Water symbolizes spiritual cleansing as well. The Levites in the Old Testament washed with the “water of forgiveness” in preparation to serving in the temple. (Numbers 8:21) Water was also used in purification rituals, Naaman washed himself 7 times to rid himself of leprosy (2 Kings 5:14) God provides water for the Israelites when they were in the desert and Samson when he was thirsty after winning a battle (Judges 15:19) The Psalmist mentions water often as in the lack of it in deserts and his own body being parched, peaceful waters, roaring waves, might seas and even leaking water.

 

In the New Testament water represent death to an old way of life, to the old man and rebirth to a new way of life and the new spiritual man. Jesus baptism is recorded in Matthew 2:13 - 17 . It is also in the gospels of Mark and Luke. Baptism was a ritual for many sects at that time period but is most notable as a biblical requirement for Christians through history to this day. 

Writing this post came to me as I was taking a shower the other day. Yeah...water...shower...not difficult to make that connection.  I guess I can be pretty thick sometimes so God downloaded some thoughts and the more I thought about these things the more I knew it was from Him.  Initially what I thought of was about God's spirit hovering over the vast ocean at the beginning of creation and about how water is used for cleansing and healing prayers by my church. In both...God has endued the water with a quality from Himself. I like to think that His spirit hovers over me...flows through me, instigating the change to bring me to who He has created me to be. God created the earth out of nothing...but He chose to form Adam from the dust of the earth and Eve from Adam's rib. While God's spirit was going back and forth over the water...resting here and going there...God was preparing to draw out of that water the rest of what He formed...the dry ground, fish and birds, animals, plants and humankind. His creation fell and His purpose ever since is to bring it, us, back to the original creative glory He intended. He still hovers over the water of our soul and spirit. If He brought creation out of the original water, breathing on it and forming it with His thoughts and hands...then how much more care to detail of design does He take with us, whom He desires a relationship with, and breaths on us His restorative breath of Holiness?

I propose that in some way He waits, at the surface, for the right time to expose what is buried in the depths. In His time He performs His miracle of restoration. He exposes what the enemy thinks is safely hidden inside of me, He exposes the hidden buds ready to bloom. I found  just now: 2 Samuel 22:16 - 20 

“...the bottom of the sea was seen. The bottom of the world lost its covering,

at the strong words of the Lord, at the rush of breath from His nose He sent from above.

He took me. He pulled me out of many waters.

He saved me from those strong ones who hated me. For they were too strong for me.

They came upon me in the day of my trouble. But the Lord held me up.

He brought me into a big place. He saved me, because He was pleased with me.”

The entire chapter of 2 Samuel 22 is awesome to me. It is my life story. It tells me He was angry about what happened to me. It tells me to cling to the Rock, it tells me to live free. Just when I think my life is fading, that the flame is about to go out...He gives me this gift and renews my hope. I wonder why He gave me this gift this week...what is He up to? I guess I'll find out soon enough.

Everything I Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten...

...Or did I?

I was talking with my mom the other day about family history in our local area. Bringing up stories she had told me in previous years and fishing for details. She told me some of her own stories of growing up, then turned to me and joked, “You're old enough to have your own history.” She proceeded to remind me of some lovely stories of when I was in kindergarten.

We lived across the street from the school, but there was a small field before I would actually reach the building. I was fascinated by flowers and bugs and those things distracted me from my short trek to the front door of the school. Often in kindergarten I was late to school. I was such a shrimpy little kid I couldn't open the heavy school door and would pound on it until someone would let me in. The principal soon learned to hang out by the door if he didn't see me come in with the other kids. My mom would get a call occasionally...my sister made it to school on time....but I did not and we left the house together. I remember some of this...pounding on the door, playing in puddles etc. I still want to play in puddles.  

Apparently I also went to the principal's office a lot in kindergarten. I have no memory of that. What does a 5 year old do to warrant going to the principals office? Was it all those treks through the jungles of the Amazon or climbing Mount McKinley on my way to being late to the front door? I do remember an older student telling me about somebody driving around in a green hornet snatching little kids and then proceeding to do my duty of warning everyone on the playground. I had never heard of the Green Hornet and I am sure some 5^th or 6^th grader was howling with his buddies at my gullibility. Maybe I went to the office for that...I don't know. Somebody went to the office. My parents must have gotten a call because I think it was one of them that told me it wasn't true. Did I even know what a green hornet was...or something.

I guess I really liked the music in kindergarten.  I had constant ear infections and did not hear very well.   I don't remember anything but the story goes that I really liked to sing loud and my kindergarten teacher told my parent I sang off key on purpose. How would she know it was on purpose? I guess sometimes I was on key and sometimes off key. There were probably other reasons for that...other somebodys. My mom told me I liked art too. I do remember winning a Halloween safety poster contest...mostly I remember the huge sucker I won.

Another story that I don't remember is coming home for lunch and I asked my mom what “attitude” was. My mom says that she knew I must have gotten a lecture about mine. What kind of attitude can a kindergartener have that warrants a lecture? I don't know. But things were different in the 60's as far as the approach to an unruly child.

I guess I did really well on those tests they gave us in kindergarten to see if we could actually learn anything. I probably was so distracted because in some ways I was bored in school. I am sure there were other distractions as well but not at school.

So, if in kindergarten I loved music and art...and had a bad attitude and forgot a lot of it to this day. What is it from kindergarten that God wants me to know? To finally remember? I don't know yet...yet. He must think it's getting close to time if this conversation came up and I am processing this information. God help us all when I do remember.