Jump in!

Have you ever been out on a little boat in the ocean when a storm blew in?  This happened to me for the first time recently and it was quite an experience.

We were speeding along on a beautiful sunny day when all of a sudden, huge, dark clouds appeared ahead.   The gal driving the boat kept heading straight for them, even though we didn’t really need to.  We could have easily turned and gone the other direction, but we didn’t.

I thought to myself, She must know something I don’t know. 

Sure enough, we drove right into the middle of a terrible storm.  It got dark.  The rain became so heavy and thick, the driver lost all visibility.  She stopped the boat and threw anchor.

There we sat.

The wind howled.  The cold rain beat down like ice on our faces.  The boat rocked.  We looked at each other and just waited.  Shivering and unsure about what might happen next.

We wrapped ourselves in our dry towels from inside the cooler.  That was a genius idea.  I tried laying flat on the floor of the boat, head down to see if that might help.  Not a bit.  Eventually, someone asked if it would be warmer if we got in the water.

The answer was yes?!?

It seemed frightening.  Jumping into the dark water that was crashing on the boat didn’t look safe either.  What about lightening striking?  But we were desperate.  So we threw on our gear and jumped in.

It was magical.

Instantly the loud wind, the cold rain, and the rocking boat all disappeared.

Just under the surface of the water, the world was completely calm and still.  No howling wind.  No cold, beating rain.  No tossing from side to side.   We were surrounded by warm, still, quiet blue water.

All was at rest.

We had to swim, of course.  There was no longer an option to just sit around and wait it out.  It required awareness and effort. . . and trust.

It was so worth it.

I wonder how many times in our lives we stay in the boat, enduring the storm when what we really need to do is jump in?

How bad do things have to get before you’ll consider jumping in?

Are you on the tossing boat of a stormy relationship?

Jump in.  

Give up the safety of your pride.  Choose to be vulnerable, with your whole heart, before the boat starts to sink.

Is the rain of your career beating cold on your face, while you look over the edge for work with more meaning and purpose?

Jump in.

It will be hard.  You’ll have to swim, but if you want your life to make a difference, you can’t keep sitting there waiting.  You’ll find joy in the blue water.

Maybe you’re just sitting on the boat because you didn’t know you could jump in.  Maybe you’ve chosen a major, a career, a relationship, a role in life because that’s what you thought you were supposed to do.  Then this is for you.

Jump in!

You can stay “safe” in the boat of your life, enduring the storm, if you choose.

Or you can choose to go for a swim.

To more love,

Crystal