Because Drowning Doesn’t Look Drowning

People who drown do so often within eyeshot of someone else. And those who can see the person drowning often are unaware that the person is drowning—because drowning doesn’t look like drowning.

A drowning person can’t call for help—they have to be able to breathe before they can speak. Their mouth is sinking below and rising above the water gasping for air. There isn’t time to exhale, inhale, and call out.

A drowning person can’t wave for help—they instinctively extend their arms to the side and press down to lift their mouth out of the water, thus they are unable to raise their arms.

There are people around you drowning

A person you know is not drowning in water, but in life. Whether you realize it or not, they’re going down.

A person you know is drowning in the waters of a family crisis. The lives of the people closest to them are unraveling and suffocating them in the fragments. They’re drowning in the hurt, confusion, and bitterness.

A person you know is drowning in self-confidence. They think they have all the skills to make it in life. They work hard and consider themselves a good, law-abiding peron. But the relationships in their life are strained because no one measures up to their standard. It seems the harder they try to come down to everyone else’s level, the worse things get. They’re drowning, but they’d be the last to admit it.

A person you know will readily admit they’re drowning, but they don’t believe you or anyone else can help them. Many people have tried but fallen short, and the disappointment has left them skeptical. They’re drowning, but they withdraw and isolate themselves from help.

The Unseen Weight of Failure

Then there’s the person you know who has failed miserably. They’ve messed up their life, and the lives of many others. They’ve broken promises. They destroyed trust. They’re barely treading water, and they’re about to give up entirely. What’s worse is they are convinced they deserve to drown.

Shame. Guilt. Regret. Isolation. These fallouts of failure are like weights below the surface, tied to the soul. There are unseen, unheard, and many times unknown. But God sees, hears, and knows; and is reaching out to save them.

“Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25)

Right this moment

God is sensitizing you and making you aware of someone who is being overwhelmed by circumstances. You may feel helpless, but there is no person or situation that is beyond God’s life saving power. God wants to show what a drowning person looks like and how to save them…and He’s wants reach out to them through you!