My son competed in a 10-kilometre swim in a dam near Worcester. For the first time I’m acting as feeder – that’s the person on the boat who leans far over the side and uses a long pole to hand the swimmer water, bananas or some kind of energy bar.

As we came over the hill towards the dam, I realised it was not going to be an easy day for him or for me. The wind was blowing as if for the last time. I thought it was crazy to attempt going out on the boat, and for the swimmers to tackle the water even more crazy. But as the organisers said, the show must go on!

We had just launched the boat when the first wave caught us. Everybody was drenched to the skin. The waves were so high that we couldn’t even use the poles. We simply threw the water bottles to the swimmers and it took us at least five minutes to gather the bottles again.

The waves grew up to two metres high, crashing over the boat and filling it with water. I never knew this, but when a boat takes in so much water, the skipper has to cruise fast over a distance to get rid of the water. But he didn’t succeed and immediately decided that two men had to leave the boat.

Eventually we got back to the swimmers, but by this time the people on the boat were no longer that excited. What if the boat takes in too much water again? I can swim, but I didn’t know if I could make it back to shore. Even the lifesavers on their boards were being tossed about by the wind and couldn’t keep up with the swimmers.

Fortunately, the event was cancelled after half an hour and tired swimmers, exhausted lifesavers and relieved boat passengers stumbled back on land. I couldn’t believe that waves on a dam could be that huge. Even less could I believe how one could be gripped by fear out there on the water and that one could sweat even though you were already wet.

Then I understood how afraid the disciples must have been on the sea. You feel powerless. You’re so afraid to die. Even though you can swim, you are deathly afraid. Fear catches hold of you and you can do nothing at all.

Many of us are afraid of something. Fear imprisons us and steals our freedom. It paralyses us. At night we roll around and wonder if we will ever make it.

That’s the time we have to take the things that have hold of us, to God. Look what God did for Onesimus: ¹⁶You’re getting him back now for good—and no mere slave this time, but a true Christian brother! That’s what he was to me—he’ll be even more than that to you.

God freed Onesimus of everything that had imprisoned him. He was no longer a slave. No, he was free, because God had freed him.

Take your fears to God. He will take them away and you will be free again. As the song goes:

I’m no longer a slave to fear,
I am a child of God
I am surrounded
By the arms of the father
I am surrounded
By songs of deliverance

Scripture
Philemon 1:15-20

Reflection
What are you afraid of?
What is threatening your life?
What do you need to be liberated from?

Prayer
Hallo, Lord. Sometimes I’m too afraid to get myself out of bed. I am paralysed by fear. All my joy is stolen and I don’t know how to keep going. Please come and save me. Amen.