That's me, October 2009, on my first trip to Pensacola. Perhaps I should give a little bit of background information. Diving was my thing, literally, it was the only thing. I fell in love with it about the same time my marriage fell apart. Fill the void, right? I was in super dive training mode after that. Diving is the most amazing experience on the planet, and I still feel that way to this day, but back then, it was still kinda new, and I was obsessed. I went from Open Water class, to Advanced, on my way to becoming a Divemaster. At this point in time, I had just finished Master Diver class (tons of physics and diving to 100ft in a cold, black lack in Arkansas), and four of my diving classmates and I had decided to take a little weekend trip to Pensacola to dive the famous Oriskany. It was my first time in the ocean, and it blew my mind. So I made up my mind that I was going to move to Florida...eventually. Fast-forward 10 months, and I decided to do it. Happy 30th birthday, welcome to my new life as a scuba bum...
Seriously....the plan was to move here, work to make just enough money to dive, and live the dream. That's me the week I moved here. Things did not go as planned...I made some costly mistakes, and put myself in a position that was really unhealthy. In order to fix it, I had to step away from this thing that I loved the most. I've been diving 7 times this year...I used to dive every single weekend. There have been times throughout the last year that I have been desperately sad that I'm not in the water. And oh how I've longed for that complete escape from reality that it always brings me. But this has not been a year of escaping from reality....far from it. It's been a year of learning to let go. That's the reality, pay attention...sometimes we have to release something that we love intensely, so that God can do something wonderful.
And maybe I've learned how to find that nirvana outside of the water, in the random moments of life that God completely fills up. To take that freeing feeling of zero gravity (see picture above) and translate it to life. I began to wonder if I would ever be able to dive like that again. The most likely answer is NO, because I have too many other responsibilities. But I'm going to get close. The beauty of this attempt, is that it is for God's glory and purpose...not my own.
There are only two populations in the world that get to regularly experience life without gravity. By the way, gravity is my favorite of all natural laws, but not something that can be contained within this particular post. Two populations: astronauts and scuba divers. What an amazing sensation! And there is nothing more awesome than floating along in the big blue with a 200lb sea turtle and barracuda hanging out next to you. And then they give you this look like..."what a weird fish!" There is a daunting variety of life hidden beneath the surface of water that not very many people get to see. And it's my passion. So now I get to share it with other people, which is what life is all about...relationships!
In January, our new small groups are kicking off at church. When I first moved from Blue Angel to the North campus, there was a diving group that popped up in announcements from time to time, but never really went anywhere. So God presents an opportunity to take the skills and knowledge He has given me, and use them for His benefit. I am a divemaster, which means that I'm educated and certified to lead other divers around (no small feat, let me tell you!). And I have contacts and information about the local dive industry. So, starting in February, this small group will be diving twice a month and having a fellowship dinner once a month. It's not just about diving with other believers, however, because I know a ton of divers that won't step foot in the doors of a church, so it's an excellent opportunity to reach people who maybe wouldn't otherwise be involved with God.
So tell your friends, like the facebook page HERE, and watch for coming announcements and activities. I'm excited to get back in the water for the right reason! And just as a bonus, my favorite sea turtle of all time:
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