We went camping this past weekend, extending it a bit for a vacation. We were right on Lake Russell (fuller now because the SC drought is finally about over.) One of the enjoyable parts of the weekend was when we put on our life vests and swam around in the lake, especially in the evenings when the sun was setting beautifully. It was a nice way to cool off before bed.

I'm not a strong swimmer, so going without the life vest was not an option for me. I don't want to have to rely on my skills to tread water. The vest gave me freedom to launch in, no matter how shallow or deep that area may be. There were times I could put my feet down and stand up easily. Many other times, I could not touch bottom and was probably in WAY over my head.

A thought came to me from this experience, as I considered the Lord to be my life vest:

"As you go through your life, there will be days you could possibly stumble along in the slime on your own, tentatively stepping through the muck. You may feel that you don't really need my help those days (but admit it's not pretty!) Other days, you will be in way over your head. In either case, why rely on yourself? Put on the life vest and float. Let me guide you along, and sit back and enjoy the beauty I have for you along the way."

I love using acronyms, so of course I had to come up with something for FLOAT. In a moment, the following came to me:

F-Fully
L-Love
O-Obey
A-and
T-Trust.

In my anxious moments, in my joyful times, no matter what is happening, I can put on my life vest and FLOAT. Print This