Thursday, February 28, 2008

Learning to Float

So then it depends
not on human
will or exertion, but on
God, who has mercy
.
Romans 9:16

For children it’s almost instinctive. Adults less so. Initially, floating on one’s back in the water seems easy and restful. In reality, the older we get the more difficult it becomes. It seems to be a matter of our wariness to trust the supporting nature of water. We begin over analyzing the process of floating and before we know it our legs sink. Children, however, know how to trust the buoyancy and enjoy the moment.

Living each day with a floating attitude is a challenge. Consciousness awakening with the dawn, our minds whirling, we begin "analyzing the process"–figuring out how to get the most out of the day, what projects need listing, who needs calling, some existing problem that "depends" on our ability to solve. Sensing our sinking legs we begin struggling and our floating attitude is lost.

No matter the situation nothing is dependent wholly on us. God didn’t structure our existence to be that independent or self-focused. Instead, He designed us to be able to float, buoyed by His mercy and love, not our effort of will. We begin sinking for lack of trusting the supporting nature of God’s character.

God has an end result in mind for each of us. How quickly we get there depends on our willingness to trust the floating process, in other words, to be childlike. Allowing our human will and exertion to drown and giving ourselves up to the buoyancy of God’s mercy, we’ll enjoy the process and arrive at our Godly destination, rested.


Jesus, what You ask of me
is my trust. Instead I try to
figure everything out on my own.
Help me to learn how to float
and trust the buoyancy of You.
AMEN.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

That is so true. I especially liked the peacefull message of learning to enjoy the buoyancy of God's mercy, enjoying the process and arriving at God's destination rested. Thanks for sharing this message and keep floating!!!
Lynda