Float

by Michele Boy | May 23, 2024

Do you ever have one of those days, weeks, months when life isn’t flowing very well?
Little things start to unravel leading to bigger things and soon you are struggling to find which way is up? 
Life moves faster and faster and you can’t catch your breath. 
 My week began at the barn trying to work our sheep. As the three of us tried to catch one, I slipped, falling hard. My cheekbone slammed into my husband’s hip. My glasses broke and I laid on the ground for a moment with a bruised ego and a swollen cheek. 
I was irritated, tired, and frustrated.
Over the next couple days things began to snowball. Nothing major thank God. But lots of small things that stole my peace. - I will spare you the details. 
I wanted a few days of rest to restore my body, mind, and soul. But that wasn’t meant to be. 
Some weeks you just have to push through and keep battling even when you don’t feel it. 
Awake at 3 AM on Tuesday, I kept racking my brain. How do I fix this? What do I do about that? How do I handle this situation?
At 5 AM I read something to the effect of stop spinning your wheels. You are in a storm. Be at peace in the storm. I will get you through this. 
I realized so much of my energy was going towards flailing and floundering. I read on. Be still and know that I am God. 
Essentially, stop. 
Have you ever watched someone fighting themselves and getting nowhere? It’s exhausting. They work harder and harder yielding less results. 
I guess some of us aren’t very good sitting in the storm. But that’s where I am today. Getting comfortable being uncomfortable is not easy. Everything in me wants to fix it. 
My prayers are often, "Okay God, I see we are here. What do we do now? 
Be still? That’s not doing anything. 
Be still and know that I am God. 
Stop trying so hard.Years ago in a battle I was facing, a friend commented that it was like I was in the ocean flailing about, but I had a life jacket on. All I needed to do was float. 
Sometimes we waste enormous amounts of energy, brain power, and worry stressing ourselves out when maybe God is saying, "float." 
School is out. I want a few days away to restore, rebalance, and recharge. Again not going to happen today. Maybe the lesson is to find the peace within myself during the storm. 
Maybe you are going through a worrisome, difficult, can’t understand what’s going on time in your life. Are you stressing, frustrated, fighting within yourself? 
Jesus said, "Come to me all who are heavy laden and I will give you rest." 
This is me preaching to myself. 
I admit I am looking everywhere else besides him. 
When I question Him  I wait approximately seven seconds for an answer. Then I get frustrated again. 
So the answer to my agitation is "float." I hope that’s the answer for you too. 
May your storms pass quickly. May you find rest in Him during those storms. 
Ryan Stephenson sings, “In the eye of the storm, You remain in control 
And in the middle of the war, You guard my soul 
You alone are the anchor, when my sails are torn 
Your love surrounds me in the eye of the storm.”