Below the surface, the current in the stream is strong. Its rushing waters are quiet as we bustle along. Without too much thought or effort, we float forward and all that we feel sure of is the strength of the current and our place in the water. The boundaries of the stream limit our sight. The water occupies everything.

Just above the stream, a whole world teems with life. The rocks and stones stand with a stability and strength enough to resist the current’s pull. The trees that shade the stream look from above with the wisdom of long-practiced perspective. The skies overhead glow with warmth and promise.

To step out of the stream is risky. It requires trust that there is more than what the waters will allow you to see. It holds over me all the reasons to stay in the familiar: the habit of following along, the power of the current, the fear of suffocation, the complacency with a “fine” life, the perceived protection of a predetermined trajectory.

But the voices beckon me to peak above the water and glimpse at the world outside the stream. With my head raised, the dreams and expectations the stream offers pale in comparison to the LIFE of the world above and beyond. I lend my ear more and more to the voices, my body can’t help but inch closer and closer to the shoreline…curious and anxious and giddy.

I take the steps out and finally find a place to rest on the shore. Under the shade of the tree with the sky peaking through the leaves, I take a deep breath and sense a peace unknown in the stream – the peace that comes when realizing I am more than the stream ever led me to believe.