Swamp Thing

Yep, that's me. In case you missed the video of Francis Chan outing me, catch it again here. I was reading through Bible study this past week catching up from the previous week, and Beth Moore had us reading about broken hearts. I'm not sure what my mind was thinking because I didn't really get much out of the topic. However, towards the end of the lesson, she wrote about change. Bingo.

'...the life of a Christian is never about sameness. It's always about change. That's why we must learn to survive and once again thrive...'

My revelation: I am a swamp.

Not just any swamp, a really gross one. Plastic bottles bob up and down, mosquitos swarm the surface, algae and thick mud line the top and bottom of the stagnant, standing water. There's probably some dead stuff in there somwhere. I'd say completely lifeless, but did you catch the part about algae and mosquitos? Lovely! Please, come and visit me!

I like routine. I like habit. But I like it because it's safe. I swear I should be a risk analyzer. I feel like the guy in Along Came Polly.

Now, picture this: A river. Flowing. Fish swim through the rocks and pebbles that line the bottom. Beautiful clear water rushing through the channel. Flowers in bloom on the banks. Birds chirping from trees that fill spaces in the green grass nearby.

Why am I afraid of this?! Clearly it is a much prettier picture. Wait, I know why. The rocks. Big ones, small ones, heavy ones, tiny ones. But the river is still flowing and it still has its beauty. Hmmm... teach me, river.

Change is like a river. It's flowing. It's healthy. My fear of change is keeping me from moving forward. For the past several years, nothing has changed. Sure, I've started a different job here or there, brought Nola into my life, been to places here and there... but everything has been safe. It's been comfortable. I can feel change breathing on me. I can feel change stirring in my heart and stirring around me every day. I'm slowly warming up to the idea of embracing it.