June 12, 2025 | by Lindsey Bixler
Shame.
It seeps back in, sneaking up slowly when I’m not paying attention. It laps at my feet, swirling around my ankles, creeping higher and higher. Shame feels like drowning in a sea of my own bad choices. The force of its current pushes against me. Soon it is up to my neck, threatening to swallow me entirely. It’s sink or swim, and I am sinking. I have no power against its force.
But then the Spirit gently whispers, pressing truth deep into my weary heart:
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you.” (Isa. 43:2)
Like a modern day Moses, I stand in a raging river with a warring army of regret behind me. “Don’t look back,” I tell myself. Nothing good ever comes from looking back, pillars of salt and such. My eyes dart to the engulfing water that threatens to knock me off my feet. Then I hear his voice again:
“Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters. … Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (Isa. 43:16, 18-19)
I lift my chin and set my gaze ahead to remind myself of the new thing the Lord is doing, that he has already done. My eyes see the clear and narrow path that God has made through the waters, the path he has made through his Son, Jesus Christ. The cross stands fixed amidst the turbulence of my sin and shame. His whispers of truth fill my heart and mind.
I chose you in me before the foundation of the world. (Eph. 1:4)
I love you with an everlasting love. (Jer. 31:3)
Because you have trusted in me, you do not have to live in shame. (Ps. 22:5)
The waters around me begin to settle, gradually releasing their hold on me as they abate. The tempest is calmed as I remember his ultimate act of love. Solid ground appears beneath my feet, and my relieved heart breathes out a heavenward thank you.
I breathe in and step forward.
About Lindsey Bixler
Lindsey’s greatest joy is savoring a warm cup of coffee with a close friend while exploring the intersection of life and Scripture. She is fascinated by language, culture, and people, which led to a year in Africa and multiple trips to Europe and Asia. These days she finds herself planted in Vermont, where she works as an ASL interpreter and delights in serving at Christ Memorial Church.
Worth Writing 