For four years on a late July Saturday, our son Frank has swum in the Long Island Sound. He has participated in “Swim Across America,” which is a fundraiser for cancer research. He does it because it is a worthy cause, he likes to swim, he likes the discipline of preparation, and he loves most anything “New York.”

Early this morning Frank e-mailed a photo to us taken after he had arrived at Larchmont for this year’s swim. The photo showed the shoreline, with its lovely summer flowers, bathed in the early morning light at that location on the Sound. Frank’s only comment to us was “calm waters for the swim.”

This picture said more than just the condition of the water for the morning’s event in comparison to very choppy waters last year when all of the boats carrying the swimmers were sent back to shore by the Coast Guard and NYPD boats for safety reasons.

About four months after last year’s swim event, our son was diagnosed with advanced stage colon cancer, which included lymph node involvement. Following surgery and six months of chemotherapy, he had scans done. He was then told by his doctors that there is no evidence of active disease at this time. Frank never questioned that he would swim in the Sound this July as in previous years.

To me this lovely photo and our son’s brief comment is a “Glimpse of Faith.” I am thankful for the calm that comes from God through faith in Christ. I am thankful for the calm that has come to me through the love and prayers of family, friends, and caring church members.

I know that the waters of the Sound are not always calm, but this poignant reprieve gives me a renewed awareness of God’s love and promises.

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
His mercies never come to an end;
They are new every morning;”
Lamentations 3:22-23

A photo followed a bit later in the morning. It was of Frank back on the shore having completed his swim.