By the Sea

I amble down to the edge of the water. My long sleeved shirt is just enough to keep away the cold from the air that blow loose hairs around my face. My companion races ahead of me. His hungry yips brake the stillness, and I pause as the black fluff comes back to nip my ankles. “I don’t have food for you,” my voice an unwelcome disturbance against the lapping waves. We reach the lake, and he plops down, ignoring the broken food dispenser. My eyes sweep over the rippling mirror. Small waves rush up the sand and slide back to the sea. The stars begin to hide. Orange and pink start to streak the purple-blue sky. A yellow arch peeks over a hill. My thoughts dance through the pages of the Bible. These waters were not always so placid.

Storms overcome those who follow Christ’s voice and step onto the water. I sank in the fear that washed over me when human strength was weak and faith began to waiver. A wall of icy water crashed against my head with a surgery gone awry. A fatal car crash, a weight I couldn’t shake dragged me down to the bottom. I tried to cling to something solid, but it crumbled with a rejection, and the opportunity slipped through my fingers. I bumped against the goodbye I couldn’t say, a barrier between me and the sky.

Something warm and rough grabbed my hand. I clung to the carpenter’s calloused fingers. He lifted me up. I breathed again. Relief was sweet in my lungs. Beneath his feet, the waves became a peaceful pathway. He walked easily, though I slumped against him, and I knew he carried the weight of two. Hands lifted me back aboard. I relaxed against the hewn wood sides of the boat of my former life. It looked the same, but I am not. I have been through the storm; I am changed. I cannot stay here. My Lord’s voice calls from the waves. I must step out again.

A short bark crashes through my thoughts and douses me with reality. The golden orb has overcome her shyness and climbed above the hilltops. I tear my eyes away from Tiberius and peel off my extra layer. “I suppose it’s time for breakfast.” I give voice to dog’s morning reverie.