Swimming in a Fish Bowl

Weightlessness is always a delightful sensation.  There are only two places on this earth where I have experienced this feeling, in the ocean and in a flight tunnel.  Today I found myself thoroughly enjoying this adventure again in the warm waters off the coast of the Big Island.  There is nothing like wading into the warm bath water of the Pacific.  

As I floated in this part of God's amazing fishbowl, I got to experience an entirely different world.   My body was adorned with extensions. These apparatuses allowed me unnatural abilities to share some moments of this day with creatures that live in a world usually unavailable to me.  .  

As a vast variety of colorful creatures darted around me, I just couldn't help but thank my Father for this opportunity.  The beauty was stunning.  I was mesmerized by everything I saw.  I was unaware that I was slowly being lulled to a place of peace and complacency by the beauty and the rhythmic dance of the waves.  I was completely unaware of any danger.  

Any of you that have swam in an ocean know that there are real dangers at every turn, sharks, currents, sea urchins (these little boogers are beautiful and painful if touched or stepped on), coral, jagged lava, and many other things.  The worst possible thing you could do is be lulled to a place of complacency.  If you allow this to happen, you could literally lose your life.  

As I made my way back to shore and laid myself out on the warm deliciousful sand, it felt good to be back on familiar soil.  I started to doze off as I was conversing with my Father and complimenting Him on the fine job He did when He created the oceans. That is when it dawned on me, I am not only an alien in the underwater world, I am an alien on this entire planet. Just like there are unseen, but extremely real dangers that can take my physical life in the beautiful ocean, there are also daily dangers that can take my eternal life.  I am so easily lulled and sedated into a place of complacency by the things of this world. Things that are enticing and exciting for the moment.  Things that have no lasting value.  Things that have the potential to destroy my soul. Things that help the plank in my eye to become larger. Sometimes my self-deception is just down right deafening to my heart.  My ability to justify my actions (or lack of) and delay my obedience to my Father's requests is damaging to my own heart.  In fact, just this week, a speaker spoke on obedience when God asks for physical things that you own.  I, of course in my own self-deceived way, just thought, "Lord, you can have anything I've got.  There is nothing I would hold onto."  I am sure He was smiling and thinking, "Well, she doesn't know what I am about to ask her to give me."  A day later, as I was drying dishes and conversing with Mr. O, he was telling me about his school in India.  Out of my mouth pops, "Does it have a library?"  (I hate it when my mouth says things without consulting with my brain or my heart.)  Anyway, he looks at me, smirks and simply states, "Yes, but it is empty and locked."  Instantly,  my heart was split open and I heard the Lord whisper, "Give him some of your books."  As most of you know, I have connections with Global Book Club (we collect used children's books and ship to Third World countries, as well as put libraries in for them) and my first thought was, "Well, I can get some books from there and give them to Paul to take."  Instantly, I knew that this was not what the Lord had asked of me.  So.....I tried again, (Man, I am naughty) thinking that I would go purchase some from a used book place and give him those.  That didn't seem to settle in my heart either.  So, my mind raced on.  I thought well, I have a bunch of teacher friends I could ask to donate.  My heart was miserable.  These negotiations were futile.   Finally, I just surrendered and agreed to take some of "my" personal, beautiful picture books out of my studio and give them to Mr. O to take to these precious children and teachers at his school in India.  Once I surrendered in complete obedience, I realized that His ways are not of this earth.  I truly am an alien in a foreign land.  Lord, help this plank-eyed girl not be lulled to sleep in this foreign land.

Until we chat again,

The Plank-Eyed Girl