I am so excited to share my new friend with you today! The following post is from Elizabeth Anne at Seasons with Soul. She is learning to trust God even when the going is a bit slippery. Please encourage her today with some comments!
I take his hand in mine, and off we wade.
Here, the current is stronger; tugs ankles, pulls at shoes. Translucent brown water swallows our feet, calves, then thighs, as we approach our destination – a cluster of rocks in the creek’s center.
I dart for floating-away Crocs multiple times, and then it happens. I can’t see where I’m stepping, and the creek bed is rocky and uneven, the current yanking at us. I lose my balance and practically sit down in the creek. {There go the clean shorts.}
But, I quickly regain my footing, and my five-year-old buddy is still firmly attached to my hand, and upright.
“Mommy!” he says suddenly {though his mommy stands on the bank, out of sight, having a murky water phobia}.
“I’m here,” I reply gamely.
“I’m afraid of sharks.”
“There are no sharks here,” I tell him with conviction. Minnows, maybe. Crayfish, for certain. Lots of little freshwater clams.
***
I have plenty of creek experience. Growing up on a 220-acre farm in Southeastern Ohio, one of my favorite pastimes as a kid was hiking out to our cave {a large rock overhang really}.
I’d walk down the length of the stream that runs from the cave’s mouth, all the way to where it empties into the larger Wolf Creek {often barefoot the whole way, hopping rocks and getting wet}. I also became adept at finding salamanders and crayfish in those waters, even capturing a few for temporary pets before re-releasing them into the wild.
Today, I’m lucky enough to live in a suburban neighborhood with a forest-like backyard, complete with huge old-growth trees and a large creek – right off our back yard. I love that I can hear the stream-shush from my kitchen window. I still get a kick every time I see Canada geese, mallards, and egrets fly over. And, I can spend hours rock-skipping and crawdad-capturing with my kids.
***
Uneven footing, poor visibility, strong currents, sharp, slippery rocks. I may embrace these challenges in the creek behind my house when I take my kids and their friends on fun, muddy adventures, but I don’t like them so much in life. No thank you.
Clean, clear, flat, smooth, calm. That’s what I like. Planned, organized, neat.
When God calls me to a messier, deeper life, I balk. For most of my adult life, I’ve chosen to stay ashore because I know I will get dirty and wet. And, worst of all, I will fall in – many times over.
Late last summer, I spent a few weeks of afternoons sitting by the creek, while my girls were at school and my toddler napped, just staring at the water. Letting the current tug at lodged rocks, firmly wedged into my imagination. Little by little, as I slowed and stared, the water nudged and loosened those obstacles and washed them away.
I decided to quit my part-time job {freelance marketing writer} of nine years. I launched a blog. And I gave myself over to God’s plan for me.
True, He has not promised me crystal-clear ease on a sandy white beach, but He has reminded me that He won’t fall. When I place my trust in Him, I fix my sights on the unmovable rock that no current can capsize, no flood can submerge. When I reach that point in the middle of the flow, far from either shore, and I can’t see where to put my feet … when I stumble and even fall … His is the hand that reaches out.
“There are no sharks here,” he assures. “Only me.”
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
~ Psalms 56:3
Elizabeth grew up on a small farm in the Midwest and lives today in the suburbs with her three littles (10,8, and 3), her husband, and their ditsy but lovable English Springer Spaniel. She’s a food freak, lover of all things DIY, and a reformed perfectionist. A professional writer who’s worked in higher education and health care for the past 15 years, Elizabeth gave up her paying clients in September to work for a new boss. {She’s says He’s divine.} You can find her writing about faith, family, and nature at Seasons With Soul, follow her on Twitter @seasonswithsoul or like Seasons with Soul on Facebook.
Thank you for sharing, Elizabeth. I can truly relate to the “murky waters in my life right now, and the past few years. Ps. 56:3 was a great reminder of the firm, always-present, unconditional loving God holds my hand as I maneuver my way through my path. Keep writing!
Sisters in Christ,
Dana
Dana, thank you for coming by and sharing from your own journey.
Thank you, Dana. So much of our lives, I think, seem like those murky creek waters, but how wonderful that our God is always there to hold our hand!
Such a sweet moment. Thank you for sharing the story. Thank you too for leaving out the part where he fell face first into the “murky water”. Lastly, thank you for making a walk in the water such a special memory for my little one. He still talks about YOUR creek. I think it is these kinds of memories that define us and allow us to treat others in kind.
Kelley: It was a wonderful afternoon, and I so enjoyed showing you and your son around “our” creek. So blessed by our friendship.
I knew you were from the midwest the moment I read ‘crayfish’. Nice piece. Keep writing!
John, thanks for stopping by the blog today!
Beautifully put Elizabeth. Sometimes even the waters where we walk with God seem to have sharks, but no matter what, He is there. I attended a conference recently and one of the questions that has stayed with me is, “What would you do if you absolutely knew, no matter what, that God is with you?” I guess as you step out into the murky waters, you’re learning!
Elise, thanks for coming by. I love that question: “What would you do if you absolutely knew, no matter what, that God is with you?”