I'm Not Waterproof

I am absolutely terrified of water.

I'm not sure how this fear developed, but the thought of open ocean or the deep sea honestly scares the heck out of me. I don't have any problem swimming in the ocean when I'm at the beach, or showering in the morning, but when I think about the vastness of the oceans and how much water there is, I get chills. Consider this:

Many people know that 97% of the Earth's water is found in the ocean. It is also a well known fact that the oceans cover over 70% of the planet's surface.

Slightly less-commonly known is that there are over 300 million cubic miles of water on Earth.

One gallon of water weighs a little over 8 pounds.

One square foot of water equates to about 62.5 pounds, so one cubic mile comes out to be just over 9 TRILLION pounds. Or 4.5 billion tons, if that's easier.

Now remember the one about there being over 300 million cubic miles of that stuff? See where this is going? Water is heavy, and there's a lot of it on this planet.

I think that's what frightens me the most. I get overwhelmed by massive amounts of anything, and water is such a regularly-occuring daily element that it's easy for me to get a good grasp of the enormity of the oceans. For example, it's been raining since I woke up and there is a local flood warning through the rest of the day. It would be impossible for me to walk outside and to my car without getting wet.

Is it any wonder that we so frequently use rain as a metaphor for things that come from God?

Rain down your love. Rain down your mercy. Let grace rain. The list could go on for days, and it could not be more a more appropriate representation of what we should desire. Think about walking outside during a total downpour. In mere seconds your hair is drenched, your clothes become soaked through, and almost instantly you are entirely covered in water.

Fortunately for us, this is the reality of God's love. We need to earnestly seek His goodness to overwhelm us, but we also should realize that He already pours out His heart on us. The Father's grace has been fully revealed in the cross, as has Christ's love. God's mercy surrounds us in the simple fact that we wake up in the morning, able to breathe praises to His glory.

I may fear enormous amounts of water, but this comforts me. Even though I am amazed by the abundant love and grace God pours on us every single day, I know that any fear I have is in reverent awe.

We're already drenched, so there's no point in trying to stay dry.