When my sister and I were teenagers, our cousin Dick invited us to visit him a couple of times in Boston. We have some amazing memories from those trips. He gave us his truck to go sightseeing while he worked, and we bravely headed out to see the sites. In reality, he was the brave one, handing those keys over to two young girls from a small town and sending them out to negotiate big city traffic. During one of those trips, Dick took us on a boat tour to go whale watching which began my fascination with those massive creatures.
Fast forward many years... to a dream one night that I vividly remember and what I believe to be a lesson from the Lord. I was at the edge of the water, and there were whales there waiting for me. I was going to swim with the whales! Surely it would be like a Gregory Colbert picture...so peaceful and amazing. I was so excited. I had my wet suit on, and I was ready to go. I started to get into the water and suddenly realized how cold it was. There was a feeling of such disappointment because the water temperature wasn't what I expected. In the narration of the dream I heard a voice say, "When you swim with the whales, the water will be cold." That was it. I woke up, but I instantly knew what it meant.
I wanted to swim with the whales, but I also wanted the water to be warm. I wanted things to be perfect. In real life, I was exactly the same way. I was working and waiting for things to be perfect. Anything less was a disappointment. It created frustration with myself, those around me and life itself. Since that dream, I've tried to relax and start enjoying the process rather than the end product. It has completely changed my outlook. I've been kinder to myself. I've been less frustrated. It hasn't been easy, but I'm better about things than ever before.
How many of us have said things like "I'll start doing things when I lose a few pounds"; "I'll invite friends over when I have a better house"; "I'll spend more time with the kids when things settle down at work." We're all guilty of waiting for something to happen before we're moved to action. Things will never be perfect, and we'll miss our chance before we know it if we continue waiting for everything to work out just right.
Scott and I returned early from Jordan to celebrate life. Circumstances haven't gone as I have expected them to. My living situation isn't perfect. More than ever, however, I've decided to enjoy life's journey and do those things I've always wanted to. In spite of whatever changes have come my way, I'm going to enjoy Cooper, spend time with family and friends and enjoy where I am in life. What's on your life's list that you've let go of? What have you delayed doing because the situation isn't perfect? Let's put those things aside and remember that even though the water is cold, we're swimming with whales.
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