Swimming was once a major fear for me. I was terrified of the water and refused to learn how to swim. I remember having to take swimming as a part of Physical Education in high school. I was the only person in my class who didn’t know how to swim. My mother was excited that I would be exposed to swimming. She was so excited that she went out and bought me a fuchsia-colored swimsuit with a bow on the back to wear for the class. And if you know my mother, you know I had to wear it. There was no getting around it. The first day of class was nothing short of comical. All eyes were certainly on me –I was wearing a bright-colored swimsuit and because I was the only one who didn’t know how to swim, I was placed in a lane by myself with a foam board and an assignment to simply float. Everything went south when my attempts to float resulted in panic choking. Nope. Swimming was not my thing.

Time went on and I became a mother of two. Unfortunately, my oldest shared my fear of swimming early. She has a couple of embarrassing swim stories of her own; they’re comical too, more so than mine. However, my youngest was like a fish as a baby. She would literally bury her head in tub water and pool water, laughing the entire time, but of course, terrifying me.  Thankfully, today, my oldest and I are no longer afraid of water. I was the last to get on board. It took both my kids and hubby to teach me to swim, and that happened within the last five years. I know crazy right?! And I love it!

A few days ago I had a dream, a vivid dream. In the dream I was looking at a large body of clear, blue water.  The water seemed to glisten from the rays of the sun with small rifts of waves. The water was beautiful! In the dream I felt a force of fear, but briefly. It seemed as quickly as fear approached, confidence rushed in. I could literally feel myself overcome with strength and courage. And I jumped in the water! I felt myself hit the water and I began to swim. I felt the waves of the water with each stroke of my arms. At one point it seemed the waves got stronger as they hit my body but my stroke was consistent and productive, not thrown off by the forces that were coming against me. And my spirit was happy. When I woke up the next morning from my dream, I remembered it and felt it explicitly. Even my arms felt like I literally just went swimming. In the days after my dream God began to minister to me regarding my experience. With all that I had been seeking Him for, in the midst of it all, God gave me His permission. And with His permission, He revealed, will come His power, His protection, His provision and His peace. I can press on with that assurance. My heart is full and I – am – grateful!

Are you in a place of pressing? Is your heart full of the desire to please God and Him only? Have you been in sweet communion with your heavenly Father, waiting on Him to answer you, in deep-fashion, past the surface stuff? Are you waiting on God’s permission?

This week’s Prayer Assignment:

Pray for a new mindset in God that you will position yourself to see and hear Him more clearly.  Pray fervently, that you no longer desire to go ahead of God; that you trust Him and His ways. Pray that you will wait on Him to answer, leaning on Him for strength through it all.

Prayer works! Complete the prayer assignment and watch God move in your midst. You can do this!