Follow Me to the Water

Water is therapeutic to me. Call me crazy, but I love the smell of fish mixed with lake or ocean water, this probably all started when my family had a lake house for a period of time at Lake Gaston. That is honestly one of, if not THE, most favorite places of mine. God's presence becomes so real to me when I'm near water. I am immediately calmed and I feel that I can hear God's voice the best when I'm surrounded by the tranquility of water.

I needed to be at the lake today, I needed my "therapy" so to speak. I wished so deeply that I could make that hour drive to Lake Gaston, but we no longer own that house (although I do still have the keys...). I settled for Falls Dam for a little bit of me and God time, plus, I'd been sensing him calling me to that place throughout the week. I knew I needed to be there.

I sat down at a picnic table by myself and gazed at the water, taking in the fish air and just began talking with God.  I didn't know really what I was asking for, or what I truly needed, I just needed to be with him. As I sat there, a man and his puppy came up to play in the water.  The man immediately waded out into the water and called his puppy to follow him. They walked up and down the shallow area, always the man in front and the puppy a few feet behind.

That's when I knew God was speaking to me. "Follow me into the water" is what I was hearing over and over again and God was using the man and his puppy as a visual representation for me. The man was able to walk freely in the water, while the puppy was almost drowning, yet still able to keep his head up, just trying to follow his master. The man knew where he was going, he was confident in his direction and every now and then he would turn back to his puppy and give her a "good girl" word of encouragement. "Follow me into the water."

I feel that God is calling me well, to follow him into the water. I'm not sure what this water may be, but if I'm following him, I am confident in his direction. It may feel like I'm drowning and barely able to make it, but I know that God will only be a few feet in front of me, paving the way. And every now and then he will turn around and give me some sort of reassurance that I am exactly where I need to be and doing exactly what I need to be doing. It's important to remember that God is the one that can walk on top of the water, while I can only swim IN it. Thats why he must go before me and I must follow.

I'm putting on my swim suit and bringing my goggles in case I do get submerged completely. I don't know where I'm going, and I could go in circles. But God has a reason for pulling me in there and all I can do is trust that when I think I'm drowning, he will be right there to pull me back up. It will all be ok in the end. I'm following him into the water.