Floating in the Dead Sea – what an Oxymoron

You cannot NOT float in the Dead Sea!

The level of salt is so great in the Dead Sea that you can’t NOT float. (I realize that is a double negative, but I am trying to make a point!) Even if you think you cannot float, you absolutely WILL . . .  even if you think you are dead weight. You WILL float, you just have to surrender control, pick your feet up off the bottom and allow the salt water to do the rest.

Surrender . . . such a scary word for most of us.

There was a group of spiritual directors visiting from the Philippines. They went to a beach with their teacher and after convincing them to let go of their white-knuckled grip of the sides of the boat, they abandoned their life vests and ended up snorkeling before the day was over. They were shocked they had accomplished so much.

The key wasn’t expert instruction . . . the key was they already understood the spiritual principle of surrender. They already “got” the relationship of trust and were willing to enter the water, let go of the side of the boat, and pick their feet up off the bottom. They trusted and surrendered.

Surrender carries the full implication of putting one’s full weight on someone or something. It involves our COMPLETELY letting go  . . . and releasing our tension and fear.

One of the ladies that learned to swim that day said, “Nobody told me you didn’t have to do anything to float.”

When we surrender we let go of our effort, tension, and fear. We cannot let go of self-dependence and transfer dependence to someone else without trust.

What if we let go of self-dependence and transfer our dependence to God/Love?

It is in this fearless act that we learn we are supported.
It is in this fearless act that we learn to experience life-transforming Love.

It is ironic that it is called “The Dead Sea.” It’s because the salt content is so large nothing can live within it.

However . . . what does live in it is the power to effortlessly surrender and let go.

I promise . . . we will stay afloat by no efforts of our own.

What do you need to do to surrender today?

Psalm 9: 10 Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.