Breathe

Everything feels as though it is moving in slow motion. You're in the ocean and waves are coming in succession giving you just enough time in between to catch a breath of air. All sounds are muffled, vision blurred, surroundings unknown. Weightless, searching, and afraid, you have only a few seconds to decide whether or not you'll choose courage in that very moment.

Courage isn't easy to come by. Fear is. Courage is upstream. Fear will sweep you away.

You can open your eyes when the opportunity comes for you to take a deep breath. When you open your eyes you can find land in the horizon. When you find land in the horizon you can focus your strength and energy on swimming in that direction.  You'll get tired, you'll want to give up, the tide will confuse your direction.  With courage you'll refocus, you'll find the strength you need because you know it's there, you won't give up, you'll find the way. With fear you'll stop, feel weak and inadequate, be swept further out to sea, and perhaps you will give up after a meek and modest attempt - accepting the false reality that you do not have what it takes to make it to shore.  It is really hard to choose courage. But if you don't you'll end up stranded using all of your strength and energy treading water to stay afloat instead of swimming towards a destination. The crashing waves don't stop. You have to choose courage in many moments, perhaps every moment, not just one or a few. We don't give ourselves enough credit. We certainly don't give God enough credit.

Be courageous.

"7For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 
    2 Timothy 1:7