Pushing away from the shore

I'm afraid of water. Oceans scare me. I wouldn't think of even swimming. It seems that I like my feet on the ground. I like knowing where the bottom is. The bottom is safe. There's no way to fall if I'm safe on the solid ground. Yet it seems that I'm in a boat right now. Not only is the sea stormy, but I can't see the bottom. Life has pushed me out to sea and I don't like it. My comfort zone has been trespassed. My journey is unsure. I want to go back again. I think.

I think I want the safety of the shore, yet something draws me- just a little- out to sea. A part, a very small part, of me longs for an adventure. One that will let me have a few moments of uncertainty and try to endure and, one day, enjoy it. Maybe I'm missing something staying so safe. Maybe there's more to life than watching others sail away while I sit by watching. I enjoy seeing the sunset from the shore, but what does it look like from another vantage point? Does the sun appear brighter?Does it shine more? Have I missed something?

What got me thinking about this is a poem by the explorer Sir Francis Drake. He wrote it in 1577. But it seems like it is for me today. I need to dream. Dream big dreams. Dream of eternity. Dream clearly and awake with a vision of the future. Dream to enjoy the journey of life to the fullest.

The sea is rough. But maybe it's about time that I paddled away from the shore toward the unknown. Losing sight of land, and finding the stars.

Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little.
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst for the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our effort to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly.
To venture on wider seas
Where storms will show your mastery;
Where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars.

We ask You to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push into the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.
......Sir Francis Drake