There have been several times in my life that I have been desperate. Two of those times involved swimming pools. I was about 9 or 10 years old when I went to a swimming pool in a public park. I did not know how to swim but enjoyed splashing around in the shallow end. Upon arriving at the pool, one of my friends said I wonder how warm the pool is? So I went over leaned one foot into the water in order to test the temperature while doing so, my two buddies pushed me in the deep end. As I sunk to the bottom I became fearful that I would drown. The desire to live kicked in and I thrashed and moved my legs and arms and somehow I made it to the shallow end. I made it but for a few moments, I was desperate. Fast forward to about 10 years ago. I had an inground swimming pool in my backyard. In spite of my childhood trauma with a pool, I love to swim and be in the water. While playing in the pool, I thought I had crested and took in a big gulp of air. The problem was I had not crested and I ingested a big gulp of chlorinated water. I got out of the pool spitting water and hacking and desperately trying to get air into my lungs. There is nothing like desperation to clear your mind! At that point all I thought about was air, there were no thoughts of “I wonder how much I have in my retirement account?” “I wonder where we are going on vacation next year?” All I could concentrate on was oxygen! Since I am writing this you know that I made it through both events.

Not much happens until you become desperate. You and I do not change until things get desperate. Until we are at the end of ourselves and our abilities we cling to the status quo. We do not change usually until the pain of staying the same becomes greater than the pain of making a change. This is true in all areas of life. If we want things to change at home or work or in our spiritual lives it does not happen until we are desperate for something to happen.

Does something need to change today in your life? At work? At home? Throughout the Bible, there are stories of men and women who were so tired of the way things were that they became so desperate that they called on the Lord. When you are desperate you will commit to the needed change that must happen.

Whatever the reason or reasons most of us do not make the kind of adjustments that we need until we have our backs to the wall and there is no way out except to change. How many times have I become earnest about needing help as a result of being in a desperate situation?

What are some of the desperate situations that you are facing?

  • You are told by your physician that you must change your eating habits and begin to exercise because you are experiencing the results of neglect in this area.
  • You experience a difficult time in your marriage and or with your children, which causes you to call a counselor or someone to assist you through a difficult time.
  • You find out that you may be one of several at work who are going to lose jobs through downsizing. When you discover this you begin in earnest sharpening your skills, taking classes, and diligently seeking another job.

There could be many scenarios in which this plays out. No change would have been attempted except the pain and loss that you would have experienced had you not made some adjustments in your life. For whatever reason, desperation seems to be the catalyst for us to do things and to take actions that we know we should, but just never get around to doing. Are you desperate today? Though it is an uncomfortable feeling, you are in a place where most positive change begins. Desperate times require desperate measures. When you get to the end of yourself, you may make real and lasting changes in your life.

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