September 27-October 6 Floating...

     Last weekend, the boys, some friends, and I went to the beach to "float." After another long, exhausting week at work, I just wanted to lie in the water and let it hold me up for awhile.  It was good for the kids too because, believe it or not, living "next" to the beach almost all of their young lives, means the kids don't go to the beach as much as you would think. It quickly becomes clear that it's one of the few forms of entertainment here having no museums, skating rinks, malls, aquariums, zoos, or any other of the myriad of weekend family fun options that the states offer, and because of that, beach time becomes old quickly too. Sometimes they would rather just be at home and play there, but we all needed to get out and breath in the salt spray and let the warm water wash over us and take away the stresses of the work and school week.  And last Sunday, the kids had no option. I told them we were going to the beach to float. Period.
     It's amazing how much floating soothes my soul.  The ever constant movement of the tides, knowing life in and below the water keeps going, no matter what. Swimming, diving, snorkeling, and really any time in or on the water has always given me a sense of calm and peace that I don't feel from other forms of recreation.  I'm by no means a "sailor" type of water person who could go out for days and months at a time, but short stints in "liquid languor," enjoying the beauty and quietness of mind that being under the water provides makes everything else bothering me in life melt away for awhile. It's kind of like giving your burdens over to God to carry. He takes them on His shoulders, and carries them for you, so you can rest, just as the water takes the weight of my body and supports it while the sights under the water carry my mind away from my troubles. So, next time you have the opportunity to spend some time at a coast near you, be sure and pick up something to float on while you are there and find out how languishing in the water can soothe your tired soul and renew your spirit.  Or find out what your version of "floating" is.  Like the "green pastures and still waters" that David talks about in the Psalms, it's important for all of us to find a place where we can quiet our minds and truly rest.