One of the things I’ve never really mastered is floating on my back while swimming at the beach. Floating on my stomach is something I’ve learned to do from a youngish age through snorkelling but floating on my back…well that was a different story. Though I’ve tried to float many times, I never rally mastered it since it basically comes to letting go of logic, to relax and allow myself to…float! In other words, to be supported by the water. Since I’ve always wanted to be in control of my swimming (and my life, for that matter), the concept of floating seemed to go against that completely.
But not yesterday. I was enjoying a leisurely afternoon swim at the beach and got this urge to again try and float on my back. I have always enjoyed swimming on my back but I have to be moving, not lying still. So yesterday I pushed all my fears aside and lay on my back, opened my arms out wide, stretched my feet and ….relaxed. At first I felt my feet start to fall down as muscle power left them through relaxation. Then, to my surprise, I felt the water pushing them up again effortlessly….and I was floating freely, being totally supported and moved by the calm sea (as the woman in the photo here, because, to my knowoedge no one was taking my photo of this great moment in history!!).
I lay there on my back for a few moments enjoying the quietness and the peace it brought me. The sky was a beautiful blue and completely cloudless. Then I suddenly got spiritual. I was reminded of the time when I had floated like this so effortlessly before, in the Dead Sea. It also reminded me of how much I really needed to let myself go into God's arms and allow him to support me in my life, as the sea was now doing. If the simple combination of salt and water could support me if I allowed it to, how much more would God support me if I allowed Him to.
Then, I suddenly understood what it must have felt like for Peter to utter those famous words (as quoted in Matthew 14): "Lord, if it is really you, order me to come out on the water to you."
"Come!" answered Jesus. Matthew tells us that Peter then got out of the boat and started doing what to him - and the others - was the impossible..... walking on the water to Jesus. Like Peter, at times we too must get out of our boat, leaving what is comfortable in order to do God's work. Taking that first step is scary, but it leads to many blessings. Once he stepped out in faith, Peter had an opportunity to walk on water, to be lifted up, to be taught, to be touched by the Master. Until he doubted. And when I too started doubting during my swim, I also stated sinking.
Like Peter, when we step out in faith, when we let ourselves go to God's support, we open a door for Him to work in us. We may perform tasks we were not capable of doing before or that we don't understand. We are being offered opportunities to step out and walk toward Jesus all the time. Do we take them? Yet, once we take that first step, we will never be the same.
Happy swimming...on your backs!!
