If you’ve ever been to the ocean you know what it’s like to see people sitting on the beach. Nestled along the ocean’s edge, people flock to beaches all over the world. They bring their towels and their beach umbrellas. They stand in awe as they gaze out into the ocean with its crashing waves and endless horizon of water. Listening to the distant roar of the ocean surf, they marvel at the big cruise ships that head off into the sunset.
At the most beautiful vacation spots in the world, there are activities to do for those who are a little more daring. Some venture out among the coral reefs, diving down into the water and marveling at the wealth of tropical fish swimming along the bottom of the ocean. Others choose the sky as they are gently lifted up by an ocean breeze and a boat strapped to a brightly colored parachute and admire the beauty beneath them. But the truth is, very few dare to travel out into the deep waters. It’s easier to stay close to the shore. It’s safe there. It takes a lot of courage to sail out into the unknown.
There are a still few who refuse to join the congregations of the status quo. The desire won’t go away. The longing for something more causes them to fix their gaze on what lies beyond what the eye can see.
A few years ago I came across a Scripture that caught my attention. It spoke about about venturing out into the deep waters, and something about those words stayed with me. At the time, I didn’t fully understand what they could come to mean in my own life. But as I look back now, I can see how God was preparing my heart to step beyond what was comfortable and familiar – and into an adventure that a would require me to trust Him in a whole new way.
My first “deep water” experience came back during my college days when I spent the summer as a missionary in Ecuador. I was 19 and had decided to come all by myself. I experienced so many firsts that summer. Riding on a train to the coastal city of Guayaquil, seeing bananas, bamboo and coconuts grow along the road were new to me. Living in another culture opened my eyes to so many things I had taken for granted while living in the States. No longer could I communicate with those I passed on the street. I had never seen anyone really wash their clothes in the same river they bathed in. And the roads were so treacherous, you prayed as you rode along that you wouldn’t veer off into the deep ravines. The smells and sounds of the marketplace reminded me daily I was not in America. I soon learned how hospitable the Indians were. Invited over for dinner, my stomach churned as I watched a little boy catch their pet guinea pig (which had been running around inside the mud hut) and proceed to roast him over an open fire. You guessed it, that’s what we had for dinner.
That summer passed by quickly and my mission experience was over. Soon I was back on the merry-go-round of life again. Yet deep inside my soul, a fire began to burn. It was something I couldn’t explain. There are days in all of our lives which take us by surprise. No voice shouts from heaven, no writing suddenly appears in the sky. Most often, it is in looking back that we realize the way our lives were impacted. I now understood. Once you feel the winds of the open sea and experience what it’s like to venture into the unknown, you can’t go back even if you want to. God compels you to move on and you are never the same again.
“Some go down to the sea and
travel over it in ships to do business
in great waters.”
Psalm 107:23
Have you ever felt God calling you to step out of your comfort zone and into the “deep water”?
What risk is He asking you to take right now – and whath might happen if you were willing to trust Him enough to take that step?
Sometimes the greatest adventures begin when we’re willing to leave the shore.
