Stop it, Maci

So this past summer, I was catfishing with the Baughn Family. Wes was leaning over the boat, baiting the lines, and all that nasty stuff you must do when you are fishing. Hadleigh kept leaning over the boat, too, and of course, it was making me nervous so I kept grabbing the back of her puddle jumper to make sure she wouldn't fall into the water. I knew as soon as she went head first in that water, it was going to be a level 10 meltdown on that boat. Anyways, every time I would grab her when she was leaning over, she would turn around and look at me and in the cutest, but meanest little voice say, “Stop it, Maci.” I was like, girlfriend, you need to chill. I did not think much more about this incident until I was driving to school one day. I started thinking about how much fun I had that day and then the Lord laid something on my heart. He spoke to me and said,  “Maci, how many times do I grab you when you are leaning over the boat and you tell me to stop it.” I was like okay Lord, I am listening. 

So many times in my life the Lord is grabbing a hold of me trying to keep me from falling into something I shouldn't be leaning into or trying to keep me from putting my own plans above His and I turn around and say stop it. The water represents sin, and Jesus is trying to hold me in the boat, yet I continue to tell Him to stop by choosing to go deeper into the water I shouldn't be near. 

So, I was thinking in 2 Samuel 11 a very scandalous story happens. Now, King David is at his palace and he is walking around and he sees this beautiful woman bathing. So, he sent one of his people to find out about her and they told him that she was one of his men's, Uriah's, wife. So like any good man would do, David left her alone (insert eye roll).  Wrong!  This guy brings her into his room and sleeps with her. I don't really know what was going on in David’s mind but I am guessing he was thinking no one would find out what he did. However, that's not what happened. Bathesheba sent word to David that she was pregnant. I can imagine David was like oh no what have I done. The story continues on and David thinks he can fix it. That's where he went wrong. I promise you when I mess up and go diving in that water I shouldn't, I cannot fix it.  I have to turn to the one I know who can, but David didn't. Instead, he says, alright let me just send Uriah home so he can sleep with his wife and then he will think it is his baby. Problem solved. But no, no, no!  David must have forgot that Uriah was one of his best men and he said I cannot go home and sleep with my wife when my Lord’s men need me to be with the ark of the covenant. I am thinking David was probably like geez man, can't you just follow my plan. I had all of this worked out... so, then David dives deeper into the water. I feel like this whole time the Lord kept trying to grab David by the puddle jumper and David keeps saying stop I got this...
 

I am so much like David in this story. I think I can do it all on my own. I can fix my friendships. I can fix my relationships. I can fix my plan for my life. When in reality I can't do any of these things without God. I know so many times God has been trying to grab me by my puddle jumper telling me to stop jumping into sin and then I try to fix it myself. I have learned recently that sometimes you have to let go of things and have faith that it will work out for the best. THIS IS SO HARD FOR ME. However, I am learning to live in faith and trust God’s plan. Maybe today, God is trying to tell you to stop it. Maybe He wants you to trust that He can fix whatever you have "leaned" into. Maybe He wants you to leave the sin behind that you keep holding on to... Whatever it may be, I promise your load will be a lot lighter if you just let Him take over.

 P.S. I hope God continues to use this precious girl to speak to me! And y’all, I know she is the cutest!