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Psalm 25:3-5: No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse. Show me your ways, O Lord. Teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all the day long.

When I was a kid, I loved to swim, and I couldn't  wait until it was warm enough to jump in and swim all day long. My Mom would say that we were like fish, and she always fought with us to get us to come out of the water. 

I remember at the public beach near where I grew up there was a dock that was well past the buoy, and you were not allowed to go over your head without being certified by the lifeguard to pass it. It was so frustrating to hear the taunting voices of all the older kids there calling me names, and shaming me for having “floaties” on my arms and a frown on my face. 

I remember that it was awkward and I could feel the stares of others as Lisa the lifeguard taught me how to freestyle swim. Day after day I showed up and worked so hard to master the skill of kicking and staying afloat with the one goal of getting up on that dock! 

As the days went by, I grew stronger, and faster until she looked at me with a smile, and said, "you're ready." I was the first one from my little class to get the nod, and I wasted no time to get to that dock. By the time I got to the dock and pulled myself up, I wanted to jump right back in doing all sorts of aerial stunts knowing that I was safe and secure in what I had been taught to stay afloat and make it back to shore without drowning. I always knew in the back of my mind that Lisa was there watching over me in case I started to struggle. 

When we go through life wanting to be in a different place in our walk, we must look past what others may say about our learning process. We have to be taught by our lifeguard Jesus when we long to swim in deeper water. The only way to do that is to show up every day with the goal to make it past all the restrictions that could harm us and keep us afloat. Trust in Jesus, show up every day and listen to His instruction until the voice says, " you're ready." In that way we will never be put to shame.

Father, we thank You for teaching us daily. Father, we pray that You fulfill the desires of our hearts, and lead us to deeper waters, and the freedom of knowing that You are our lifeguard, always watching over us. Father, we thank You for guiding us into all that You have for us in this life, and life eternal. In Jesus' name. Amen.