My mom is 69 years young.  She and my dad left today after a two week stay with us here in Barbados.  All my life, my mother has been afraid of water.  Until last year, I never saw her in water abover her waist.  Last year when they visited us, she got in the water with a life vest and went into the sea to swim with the turtles.  Really she was far to terrified to notice the turtles because the water was too deep for her feet to touch the ground.  But she got in that water and I was so proud of her.

This year, she suddenly decided to learn to float.  We were talking about swimming while we were driving around the island and I told her that once you figured out that the water would hold you up, you were most of the way to swimming.  We went to the beach right after that conversation and suddenly my mother said, "I'm going to float today." 

It was a gorgeous day.  The water was the amazing turquoise that I've only seen in the Caribbean.  My mother, 69 and fearful but determined, walked out in water UP TO HER NECK and started to try to float.  I stayed near her and lent a hand to steady her as she figured out how to keep her body upright in the water while she was floating.  And do you know what?  She did it!  It was only for a few moments at a time, but she did it!  She beamed as much as my kids do when they do something hard,  "Did you see that?  Both my feet are off of the ground!"  Go Mom!

It's kind of like learning to trust God.  To believe that something invisible can support me just doesn't make any sense but when I trust God, he holds me up. Each time Mom floated and the water held her up, she became a little more confident.  Each time I trust God and he comes through for me, my faith is built. 

 I guess life is all about learning to float.