Introduction
In today’s issue of The Adventure of Reflection I continue my nautical theme by exploring the experience of being submerged. Thank you for joining me as I ponder “being under” or “invisible beneath” and how rescue “from the depths” is possible.
A Minute of Motivation
Stay on Top
Stay on top of things, or you will find things on top of you. Ask some people how they are and they will say, “Not too bad, under the circumstances.” What are they doing under their circumstances? Life works better when you stay on top of it; in fact, you’re miserable when you let life get on top of you. If you misplace your priorities, allow responsibilities to pile up, or avoid uncomfortable situations, before very long you will feel overwhelmed!
Take charge of today, decide what needs to be done, and, most importantly, DO IT! Take charge and take action. Deal with today what needs to be done today.
To feel like you’re on top, you must climb there by getting things done – then keep life from piling things back on top of you. Get on top and then stay on top of your circumstances.
Note. Originally published in 1992. Re-published here because of the feeling of being submerged when buried under layers of life’s burdens.
Enjoy Life More
Down, but not Dead
I have an office plant that was given to me by some of my students as a memorial gift after losing my mother in 2018. It generally lives by my southern exposure office windows, except when I was locked out of my office for several months during 2020. For that time, it attempted to adjust to life in my home, without its preferred southern sunshine. This plant, like me, has been through many challenges in the years since 2018.
Here’s something I wrote about my plant on November 8, 2022. My beautiful plant. It nearly died when I brought it home during the lockdown. It recovered slowly after coming back to my office. I left only the green leaves and cut off the dead parts. The "green" leaves were partially dead. I trimmed off the dead parts from the edges of the leaves. In the past year a beautiful tall leaf emerged. I watched with joy and anticipation as it grew taller and taller and then unfolded perfectly. It leaned against the window and rose to the ceiling, striving to go higher than the limits of my office. This leaf was a sign of wonderful new life but only based in deep dependency. In my efforts to prepare the plant to move somewhere with higher ceilings I turned it around. The plant, having learned to lean on the window, was unable to stand on its own. I propped it up, hoping it could reach for the window, now behind it, and learn to stand upright.
There was a sickening crack. The tall, beautiful leaf was too heavy without the window for support; the stem cracked. I now had only one good choice - cut off the most beautiful, tallest part of the plant. I said I was sorry. And I cut off the broken part. I cried. This plant has been through a lot in this office in the 4.5 years since it joined me. Growing. Dying. Recovering. Leaning. Breaking. Struggling.
But still alive.
And hopeful for a stronger future.
Then, on December 30, 2022, I added this realization: It needs stronger roots to recover. I told my plant: “Dig deeper. Then stand tall and straight.”
I was writing these words about my plant, but also about myself to myself: Dig deeper in order to stand taller.
A few days ago, I noticed something wonderful about my plant. Beside the severed stalk a new leaf was beginning to emerge. Quiet tears of joy also emerged from my sad and weary eyes. My plant was not dead. My plant had not given up on living. New growth was peeking through. Surprisingly, this new leaf is not heading to the window. This new growth is not striving for dependency on its circumstances. If you look carefully at the somewhat fuzzy picture, you can see it…and the poster in the background.
To enjoy life more, remember the lesson of this plant. Growing. Dying. Recovering. Leaning. Breaking. Struggling. Digging deeper. Standing straighter. Down, but not Dead. New life emerges from the depths of struggle.
Faith Corner
“The Lord lifted me out of the depths.” (see Psalm 30:1)
The word “depths” is used many times in the Bible, referring to the depths of the sea or the depths of the earth. Sometimes the word is used as a metaphor for being lost in sin or wickedness; at other times it seems to be referring to being buried or flooded over by layers of sorrow or difficulty.
Have you ever dropped something into a lake or the ocean? A hopeless realization rises up as the item sinks into the depths: It’s gone now. There’s no getting it back. There’s only hope of retrieval if there is a tether attached to the item, such as the fishing line when I was deep sea fishing a few weeks ago. With a 14-ounce weight on the end, followed by three baited hooks, I was instructed to release the line and let the weight sink down, down, down, until it hit the bottom. If I felt a fish on the line, it was time to reel the line up, up, up, until the weight and the fish could be lifted into the boat. Without the line, the weight, hooks, and fish could not be lifted out of the depths.
People asked me “how deep was the water?” I have no idea. It took at least 15 seconds for the weight to reach the bottom. Of course, I could only see a short way beneath the surface. Whatever was happening in the depths was out of sight for me.
There are times when I feel “too far down” to be seen. There are times when I feel engulfed and hopeless. But those feelings are not reality. The Lord can see me no matter the layers of darkness around or above me. I am tethered to Him; he can lift me up from the depths and rescue me. I cry, from the depths, “Lord, save me!” He feels the tug of my desperation on the line and reels me back to the surface.
When you are feeling invisible beneath the murky depths of your circumstances and sorrow, cry out to the Lord for rescue. He sees you. He feels your tug on the line. He will reel you in.
Dear Lord, thank You for seeing me, no matter the depths of despair or difficulty covering me. From the dark and murky depths, I cry to you, Lord, save me! Reel me into the light of day. Bring me back into the safety of Your presence. Help me to relax and trust You as you gently and powerfully draw me to You. Amen.
Poetry Pause
Rescue Came
Dropped into a well by his brothers,
Joseph prepared to die.
Rescue came:
He was sold into slavery.
Sold to Potiphar,
Joseph served until wrongly accused.
Imprisonment came:
He was sent to prison.
Detoured into prison,
Joseph interpreted others’ dreams.
Possible rescue came:
But Joseph remained in prison.
Forgotten for two years,
Joseph waited and trusted.
Rescue came:
Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams.
From well, to slavery, to prison,
Through betrayal, rejection, and neglect;
Joseph was rescued from the depths,
And became a rescuer of others.
By Cindy MacGregor, April 5, 2023
Note. I have been thinking about the life of Joseph and the multiple times he was “in the depths” and seemed to be rescued, only to continue along a path of suffering. All of it was part of God’s plan for Joseph’s life. The apparent “detours” into the depths were just “waypoints” along the journey to Joseph’s final rescue and his destiny to be the one who rescued many others, including his brothers who first threw him “into the depths” of the well.
Old Mom to Young Mom
See Your Children
When do you notice your children? Busy, distracted parents tend to notice their children only when they are misbehaving. That’s problematic for many reasons but let’s just consider the often invisible, emotional and mental, condition of a child. What’s happening in the depths of your child’s heart and mind?
One of the saddest stories to hear is when a child commits suicide and no one noticed, or if they did notice, no one responded to the depths of distress that led to the suicide. In the fortunate stories, the suicide was “unsuccessful” and functioned as a “cry for help.” How could such despair be invisible to parents and teachers? The depths of despair is sometimes hard to see.
Sometimes despair is nearly invisible, but it is the job of adults to see the children and notice the almost invisible suffering. Perhaps the most important responsibility of parents is to remain aware of, and tethered to, their children. Like a fishing line into the depths, an attentive relationship will alert the parent when rescue is needed. A quiet, well-behaved child needs noticing just as much as a disruptive, noisy one.
I implore you, as an old mom to young parents, to see your children every day, to really see them. Tune into them carefully so you can feel the slightest tug on the line from the depths. Focus and relationship is the key. If you are too busy or distracted to see your children, you are too busy and distracted. See your children.
Dear Dr. Mac
Dear Readers:
Special thanks to Carole and Marian for your encouraging words to me about my writing. I send my words out and don’t know how they are received. An occasional word of affirmation helps me to know someone is benefiting by my writing. Thank you!
As always, you can email me at: drcjmacgregor@outlook.com; I will respond via email or in this section of a future newsletter, or both. I hope to hear from you!
You can find all my previous posts at https://cindymacgregor.substack.com/archive
The Lord is helping me process through some things in my own life through this newsletter! It is SO GOOD. The two I have read so far, I have loved!!! Thank-you for sharing your insight and wisdom with us.