By Dr. Corey Abney
Several years ago, my family went canoeing on a small river in Kentucky. My wife was in a canoe with our two girls and I was in a canoe with our two boys. About halfway into our excursion, the boys and I thought it would be a great idea to tip the girls into the water. We approached their canoe, reached out to tip them over, but in our zeal we toppled into the water instead of them!
My youngest son immediately began to panic, throwing his arms all over the place and screaming at the top of his lungs. Thinking he was drowning, I rush over to him, swimming as fast as I can. As I reach him and try to calm him, my feet lower and I feel something beneath me…the river floor! We were only in about three feet of water at the time, so I stand up, secure my son and help him to stand. We all had a good laugh over this ‘near death’ experience!
Culturally, we are in the midst of a unique and challenging situation unlike anything our generation has experienced. Few, if any of us, foresaw a time when we would self-quarantine, shelter at home and be required to stand at least six feet away from other human beings. It feels, to many of us, that we are drowning in fear, anxiety, uncertainty, financial instability, the lack of normalcy or all of the above.
Yet, in the midst of these unique challenges and circumstances, there is a solid foundation beneath us. We have a God who is in control of all things. A God who loves you and who sent His Son to die for you. A God who raised His Son from the dead and secured eternal life for all who believe. A God who, even now, is working all things for good.
So, in the midst of the raging current of our present circumstances, look below the water line and you will see a firm foundation beneath you…the foundation of God’s unconditional love and caring providence.