Swimming Safely in Pools of Uncertainty

As a child has view of his parent from 10 feet away in the pool as he first learns to swim, both parent and child are possibly fretful. There is safety with the instructor about. But there is never so much safety that their guard can be dropped completely.

Much is the same experience for any of us when we are plunged into a pool of uncertainty, and it’s all the more fatiguing as we continue treading water beyond where we would prefer to stop.

Sustaining energies when the bounds are open can be frightening. We doubt ourselves. We have vision of our past failures and they create moments of anxious dread. It’s the human imperative to fret. But then we possibly overcome the quavering moment, reasoning in our reasonable minds that all will be well; that we can and will overcome.

But the opportunity remains to connect heart with mind.

Safety Is in Gentleness

Uncertainty of circumstance is combined with uncertainty of soul, redoubling angst.

Here we find our outer situation, which is new and changing, combining with an inner situation where we are betwixt and between thinking and feeling states—the logical mind and the honest heart.

The heart feels with honesty and resists the change. And the mind provides therapy of logic. We all need logic to overcome our fears, but if we don’t entertain our fears we don’t learn how we are truly feeling. It’s important to listen to our feelings, because our souls are communicating important information. Listening to our feelings is giving credence to our unconscious mind. It is respecting the self.

There is safety in gentleness, as an outward reminder of the sort of treatment we need and deserve to give ourselves. We imagine our gentleness coming from the mature self. We all surely have some self-concept of a mature self that is diligent in providing the appropriate self-care. After all, we cannot be strong in honesty and humility for others if we are not being honest and gentle with ourselves.

Being gentle with ourselves is the ideal focus for being gentle with others.

When we are safe within we provide a safe home with which others can rest. Perhaps there is nothing better in this world than being with people that remind us of the love in God. By our gentleness we have that opportunity; we are safe for ourselves and for others.

***

Uncertainty reminds us of our vulnerability. Gentleness with ourselves is the antidote to feeling especially vulnerable. We are honest and rest while we can. There is safety in gentleness, for us and for others as well. And when we detect loving fellowship, we receive support as we give it. Gentleness is allowing God to work in our situations.

© 2013 S. J. Wickham.