hope does float...

I can think of very few things as panic inducing as the fear that you are going to drown - maybe it brings out the other tendency I have which is claustrophobia - regardless - the idea of drowning strikes terror in me.

Ironically - I can swim, but things happen - strong current, big waves, a face full of water, coughing, sputtering, disorientation - all things that can interfere with actually swimming.

However, an interesting reality, you don't need to swim to keep from drowning - you really just need to float - but to float, you must relax, and to relax you must stop surrendering to your fear and focus on what you know. Once you do this, you float - you regain your composure, you catch your breath and you regain your perspective ~ now you can swim, now you can head for shore, now you will be OK.

I think our fears and emotions can assault our sensibilities like big waves, they can pull us along like a current, make us cough and sputter, choking on incorrect thoughts ~ all things that can keep us from actually "swimming" - keep us from heading to solid ground.

So - we need to relax, we need to stop surrendering to the panic and just float - relax in the knowledge that no sin will overtake you (fear is not from God), God has provided a way of escape - remember this and you can float - you can float here while you catch your breath and regain your perspective, you can float here on this promise until you see the way of escape - the way to dry ground, and then you can swim, and you will be OK...