This weekend we spent our holiday beach-hopping trying to discover the most secluded gems of clear, turquoise water that we could find. There’s something about Lake Michigan in the late summer that invites me to fully immerse myself in its cool, refreshing waves while there’s still time – time before the temperatures drop too low to swim. It always takes some courage to get past my waist where the shocking coldness strikes the hardest. I have to tell myself once you’re in, this will feel amazing! But I fight it every time. Sometimes it takes the persuasion of my children to convince me to go under. They may splash a little – which is always worse than just taking the plunge. Sometimes I’ll count to three. The dreading is always the worst part. The dreading lies to me, so I can’t sit there in its presence too long or I might miss out on the last opportunity of the season to fully enjoy the summer; and my summer is not complete without being fully submerged in Lake Michigan and floating on my back at least once. And so I did. And just as I suspected, the moment I went under I felt euphorically refreshed. The split second of shock was well worth gliding through the glassy, shimmering, fresh lake where sight and sound change into a green, dream world of minnows, drop offs, unique rocks, and children waving or grabbing my leg.

Why is it that some of the most beautiful, true, and good things in life are the things that we dread the most? We dread, for example, being with child, but never regret their life. We groan at rising early, but the crisp air and sunrises never disappoint. We might dread making love, but, when done in God’s way, never leaves regret. We avoid eating well or exercising, but those too only leave behind side effects of health and confidence. We fear repentance or turning back to God because of all the ramifications that it might bring, but it too only results in greater peace and satisfaction. We vex ourselves about the conversation we’ve been prompted to have, when the results could be healing and reconciliation – which might come with some initial shock, but could open up a dream world of new life and greater depths of love. We avoid taking risks for fear of the unknown, forgetting that God is there too. We dread death, but death is like leaving the womb of this world and being birthed into the presence of God. Dread lies to us and if we stay with it long enough, we might forgo an ocean of beauty.

We start out our lives in water, our bodies contain 80% water, and when we leave this world with God as our Master, then we do not need to dread death because death is just “going under” and fully immersing ourselves in the Living Water. Isn’t it interesting that famous authors like C.S. Lewis and John Bunyan both use water to depict the doorway into heaven? And it is only by passing through it that we meet God. But in this life, God gives us many other opportunities to pass through unfamiliar doorways that lead us closer to Him. However, too often we dread what He might ask of us, forgetting that when we take the plunge of obedience, it always leads to more good, more truth, and more beauty.

Is there something you’ve been dreading? A prompting perhaps from the Holy Spirit? Well, as my children would say, “Just go under!” You won’t regret it!