It’s been said, the safest place for a ship during a storm is out on the sea.

Ships are built to withstand the storm and so to be anchored in the harbor during a storm is literally the most dangerous place for them. They can be torn to pieces with each crashing wave. 

Getting out of the “safety” of the harbor.

Being tied to this idea of safety, has held me here. Aren’t I safest sitting in this harbor? We live with this mindset that speaks to our deepest fears. Fears of rejection, the fear of failure, the fear of our past repeating itself (and you don’t even know where I’ve been, maybe a few blogs from now I’ll share). It’s rare that a wave of excitement washes over us and compels us to take a journey outside of what is known, to us.

Could it be that I feel I am built better to withstand the stagnant waters? Surely, I would find it hard to believe that I was actually created to not only live through, but perhaps thrive in the midst of the “storms”?  I’ve always said, I’d rather be in waters constantly moving than to become stagnant. After all, isn’t there always more? And I don’t mean more as in the dissatisfied, discontent type of way. I am actually very content in my life. My husband and I live in a home that we built with our 5 beautiful children and a dog that is convinced he’s just another one of the kids.

This has been my safe harbor! I’m a good wife and mom and I actually enjoy being both. So when God came knocking on my door to tell me that it was time to reinvest in my dreams, my voice, I panicked! Surely, he could send someone better, someone more talented, someone younger, someone prettier, someone with less kids and someone who actually didn’t get stage freight! Ha

It was this moment that I had to choose, would I pull up the anchor and trust that there may be more for me in this life? More that would just compliment and add to the beauty that I already experience? Raise the anchor and set sail? Or just be content to let someone else live that dream.

I couldn’t shake it… dream after dream came rushing back, my heart felt alive and I knew that the risk was worth taking. I knew I wasn’t going to be the best! But I knew that the uniqueness of me would have to be enough, my “yes,” if you will. This is usually the defining moment for us all…. Our YES!

You see I’m ok not being the best, and I’ve come to grips with many weaknesses in my life but what I am not ok with, is shutting down. I am not ok with living from a place of fear, verses faith, the stagnant if you will.

So, here I sit, out on the seas. I will have times of storms but the view from this vantage point is breath-taking. I am proud of me, and that’s something I haven’t been able to say a ton in my life. My children are seeing me do something that is going to make their journey way different than if I didn’t take this risk! They are proud of me! My husband is cheering me on! My friends are beginning to wonder what dreams they have on the inside of them that they need to revisit.

Safety often times means surrender! Surrender to the winds! Putting your sails up and seeing where the wind sends you! What might be preventing your surrender, your “yes”?