floating

“Having faith in God is like leaning back into water, relaxing, and finding that the water holds you up.” Br. David Vryhof

I used to teach little children to swim, and most of them took to it like ducks to water. Teaching them to float, though, took time and trust. I would stand waist-deep in the water, holding a child, and talk to her about floating. Then I would invite her to lean back in my arms in the water. Eyes wide and muscles tensed, she would lean back the slightest bit. I would say, “Don’t worry. Feel my hands under you? I promise I won’t let you go.” Eyes fixed on mine, she would lean back a little farther, still tense, still holding her head above the water. “It’s okay,” I would say. “Feel my hands under you? You can relax. I promise I won’t let you go.” Little by little, as she dared, she would relax into the water. After a while, I would say, “When you’re ready, I’m going to move my hands a little bit deeper in the water. They will still be under you. You just won’t be able to feel them.” Eyes wide, she would nod her ‘yes.’ Slowly, ever so slowly, I would lower my hands a few inches, and she would float, held up by the water.

“Trust the Lord your God, and you will be held up.” 2 Chronicles 20:20

“Let go and let God.” 12-step wisdom