Dabbling or Diving

This is my endlessly recurrent temptation: to go down to that Sea (I think St John of the Cross called God a sea), and there neither dive nor swim nor float, but only dabble and splash, careful not to get out of my depth and holding on to the lifeline which connects me with my things temporal. — C.S. Lewis

What Lewis confesses here isn’t just hesitation—it’s a lack of trust. A spiritual tug-of-war. And it’s where most of us live. We want God, but we resist losing control. We feel the pull of the eternal, but the comfort of the familiar keeps us in the shallows.

I can relate.

I still remember swimming lessons and the thick rope that stretched across the pool, dividing the shallow end from the deep. I clung to that rope for dear life. One side was safe—I could stand, splash, and stay in control. But the deep end? It was mystery. Risky, wide, and wild… and it scared me.

We’re all tempted to play it safe—to cling to the rope of comfort, to hold tightly to the safety lines of routine, relationships, and a rational version of faith. These lifelines give us a sense of control. But they also keep us tethered to the shore—away from the unknown, away from risk, and away from going too deep with God.

But here’s the thing: God didn’t send His Son to die so we could merely dabble.

In John 21, after the cross, the resurrection, and Peter’s denial, we find the disciples in a boat—back to what’s familiar. They return to fishing—something they can control, something that doesn’t require faith. But their nets are empty—and so are their hearts. Peter is stuck in the shallows of his guilt, shame, and failure—clinging to the strands of a former life.

Then, from the shore, a voice calls: “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”

They don’t recognize Him at first. But when the miraculous catch happens, John whispers, “It's the Lord.”

Peter doesn’t hesitate. He throws on his outer garment and jumps. He’s not testing the waters. He’s all in—plunging into the grace, restoration, and life Jesus offers. Peter went from dabbling to diving. And so must we.

Jesus said, “I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.” (John 10:10, MSG)

Jesus didn’t come and die so we could splash around in the shallows, clinging to the lifeline of what’s familiar. He calls us into the depths of His love, where control ends and faith begins.

He calls us to surrender—to let go and lose the life we think we need—so He can give us the life we were truly made for.

Jesus is calling. Let go of the rope. Dive in.