We visited Ghana, West Africa for the first time when our second born daughter and her family lived there for a season. At the end of our stay, we spent a couple of days on the coast of Ghana at a resort with a swimming pool. When our Ghanaian driver/friend saw our grandchildren swimming, he asked them to teach him how to swim. Our granddaughter and grandson began by trying to demonstrate the concept of floating. They tried to get our friend to understand that if he relaxed his body the water would actually hold him up. The only trouble was, when he got into the pool every muscle in his body tensed up and he flailed and fought against the water. His own strength became a liability. He couldn't let go of his need to be in control enough to just lay back in the water and relax. Meanwhile, our grandchildren were completely confident and relaxed, floating and swimming circles around him.
Too often, we can be like my Ghanaian friend. Our circumstances become the water that we are fighting and flailing against. We wear ourselves out, foolishly fretting about and struggling against things, many of which we have no power to change. (Join me for the rest of this post on Sunday, May 26th, at Woman to Woman Ministries, where each Sunday I share a bit of Sunday Soul Food!)
still following,
I learned to swim as an adult, so I remember that exact sensation of having to trust the water to hold me up. What a glorious illustration of grace.
ReplyDeleteThank God for His grace that holds us up and holds us together!
DeleteGrace is enough and strength in our weakness. Love that. A very uplifting scripture much needed for this Sunday and week ahead. Thank you. :)
ReplyDelete