Through the Murky Waters

April  2023

   As an avid shell aficionado, on a recent trip to Marco Island, Florida, my girlfriend suggested we go to Tigertail Beach, one of the top ten places in Florida to find seashells. I was quick to agree that this was a fabulous idea. I was just as quick to regret my decision when I realized that we had to cross a murky lagoon about 200 feet wide to get to Tigertail Beach. Let me explain something to you… I don’t have a lot of fears in life, but one fear that I have is being in water where I can’t see my feet. Years ago I was attacked by jellyfish in the ocean, and ever since, I just like to make sure I can see what I’m standing in. 

   So, we get to the edge of the lagoon, and my friend starts to walk through. I see her quickly, sinking to her waist. I take a deep breath and begin to follow her. Immediately I am gripped by fear. The water is murky, dark; and the bottom of the lagoon is a gross slimy, squishy, uneven surface. I definitely can’t see my feet. I kept saying out loud, “This is really pushing me out of my comfort zone. This really is a little scary. This sure is scary.” Finally, the Holy Spirit spoke to me, and I begin to realize that I was speaking out of a place of fear when I could be speaking out of a place of faith. Maybe I was scared, but I was also being brave. I was being very courageous. Fear and courage are on the same teeter ...

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