Staying Above Water

I treated myself to Free Day at the Arcadia Arboretum today.  Although much of my spring break is dedicated to catching up on work, I still had an extra two hours to spare this afternoon.

As I meandered along the various pathways, traversing through ever-changing flora and fauna, I remained present to what was before me, letting each new snapshot unfold before me.

In one particular moment, at the edge of Baldwin Lake (more the size of a pond), a turtle surfaced its head and said hello, bobbing in and out of the water a few times before submerging again.

Turtles are curious creatures, able to navigate both land and sea, pond and (lily) pad.  They move most easily in water, but they can plod above ground, too.

A few weeks ago, in a meditation class at school, I imaged myself as the Little Mermaid, leaving her childhood sea kingdom in order to explore human existence.

I was surprised, because that particular Disney movie was never one of my favorites.  I may not have ever watched the entire thing.  But I began to interpret the shore--even losing my musical voice--as an interesting path to more freedom and agency.  Doing, rather than saying and singing.  Living, rather than wondering what things were like not "under the sea."

Water is the Source of life.  Some of my recent endeavors have been around interviewing people who are part of a family of churches called Blue Ocean.  My church in Boston was called Reservoir.  I am familiar with life under the surface--the subcommunities of Evangelical eels, Presbyterian piranhas, Methodist mackerel, Catholic cod, and Lutheran lionfish.  I've made the rounds, and I've encountered Ursula's wrath along the way.

I can breath better above water, sometimes, but returning to the Source of Life has always been important to me.  Some of the people I respect most have swam to shore and walked away, never to dip their toes back in the water.  They have their reasons, and I completely understand.

Life underwater continues to teem, and the fish often struggle to understand why some turtles can breath so well on land.  Sea turtles have been known to rescue shipwrecked souls--including pug-nosed pups, in the movie Milo and Otis--taking them from bodies of water to masses of land.  If only they could commit to journeying the whole way, rather than simply dropping us off at the beach.  Still, I have a special and interesting place for turtles in my heart.  I would not have made it to shore just swimming on my own.

I'm exploring what it means to live and breathe above water, but I will never forget the importantce of Water.  It sustains me, and I drink from it in order to live.  There will always be deep wells of pure groundwater, streams in the desert, and yes, the occasional Beach Day in my future.  What I will not do is drown in the ocean, simply to please fish.

Jesus had a "fishers of men" ethos.  I've been caught up by the net of Experience and Exploration.  I'll let you know how it goes.