My Letter From the Ocean of Fullness

 

Dear God-

My last letter to you was from the Island of Mediocrity.  Thank you for your invitation to swim in fullness instead of wasting away on an island that is so far from your desire for me.

To be honest, I found your offer a little too good to be true.  On the island we learned how to "earn your grace" and you have asked me to swim in unconditional love.  I have found that my senses are alive and I'm hungry to experience what you have for me. 

I like floating in the calm waters of forgiveness and crashing into the waves of revival.  It seemed to take forever for me to know I am cleansed of the dust of the island, and sometimes I'm tempted to return, but this has done something new to my soul that I would not trade. 

I do have a question for you - It appears that I experience some of the same storms I did on the island.  I thought you would keep me from those.  I thought if I swam in your waters I would never have to feel the sting of loss, the pain of failure, or the hurricanes of disappointment.  Does fullness have to include periods of hunger and even fear?

There are times that the depth of the ocean is wonderfully overwhelming and the current of your love is more than I can take, but there are times when fullness seems like too much to ask of me.  Sometimes I'm even afraid of drowning.

But, I won't go back.  Lord of my soul, I proclaim to you that I have answered the call to abandon all that I have learned to be safe and secure so that I can embrace the risk of faith.  I will not let my feet touch the soil of compromise again!  I have stood on those sands for too long!  I am committed to be tossed by the wind of your Spirit and I refuse to drink anything other than the Living Water you have called me to! 

I may have questions.  I may have to weather storms.  I may feel the risk is too much and I may even dream of the land that would destroy me – but I will continue to be what you are making me to be!  I won't go back!

God, I can't help but think about the others who are living on the Island of Mediocrity.  Many of them I care so much about.  Would it be ok if I invited them to join me?  Would you let them taste the fullness you have given me?  It seems a huge task, but somehow I think that is part of why you wanted me to swim in these waters – so I could invite others to join us.  More of us should be swimming and less standing.  Thanks for the opportunity.

In Over My Head,

Dave