The pool was empty, except for a lifeguard. Usually, early evenings are busy. Kids are looking to extend their time. Older kids are coming home from work and looking for a time of exercise and stress release. Early evening is a time to escape the heat and let things go.
This was different. In addition to missing people, as I stepped through the doorway to the deck, I found myself battered by chilly winds and there was a feeling that rain was likely.
My swim reflected the changes. Except for the wind and what it was doing to the surface of the water, there were no other sounds. Fortunately, the pool is kept to a constant temperature. Swimming was comfortable except for the part of me which was exposed to the elements. On the edges, it felt crisp and rough. With each lap I experienced the bubble of moving with the wind or the annoying forces pushing against me. Wind bursts created mini waves which splashed over my head and into my eyes.
As my lap target slowly moved from the future to the past, I realised that as much as this was not as comfortable as a regular swim, Life’s Whispers were using my surroundings to teach.
My initial and emotional labels are rarely the full truth. If you had asked me to describe the first mini wave which caught me with eyes and mouth wide open, my descriptions would have included “stupid, slimy, cruel, cold-blooded.” (Romans 1.31). While I was annoyed and knew it was not my best response, it did reflect the multiple variations across the experiences in my life.
When I create space in my response to centre myself, Divinity is always present to remind me of my values and priorities. It was early in my laps when a deep intake of air doubled up as a cleansing breath. My heart saw things for what they were, and I experienced the joy of swimming in the unknown.
In releasing myself to good, good embraces me with wonder and beauty in the moment.
