A tiny lesson learned from a night on the beach

Last night my husband Kevin and I went to the beach.  It was a beautiful evening, the sun was setting and brilliant colors lit up the sky.  The air was soft after a very long hot day, and the water was gentle and cool.  He and I walked down into the water, and once I reached knee deep I began worrying.  I worry about the dumbest things, and what I worried about then was how cold I would get after being in the water.  The air was cooling, and it was quite breezy.  I wanted to swim and relax in the water, but I was hesitating because of what may or may not happen after the swim.  Finally I relaxed, dove under the water and had a very nice sunset swim.

When we came out of the water it was chilly, the cool breeze against our wet skin, but that was ok.  It wasn’t the kind of cold that I dread.  We sat in chairs as the stars came out, then eventually walked back to our car.  How very stupid it would have been to not enjoy the swim because I knew I would feel bad afterwards, especially when I didn’t feel bad in the end.  Do I live life that way?  Do I worry so much about what may come after, that I am afraid to enjoy the moment?  I know I do, at least at times.  It is smart to consider the consequences of our actions, and sometimes we do make bad choices.  At the same time it is not smart to live in fear.

How do I apply this lesson to my life?  I am not sure.  We have a song on a CD in the car right now, and the lyrics say, “If I live the life I'm given, I wont be scared to die.”  This has become one of my favorite songs, and every time I hear it I begin thinking about that verse.  I need to live my life, and participate, and enjoy.  Sometimes I will get hurt, or make bad decisions, but at least I will be doing and participating.  Do not be ruled by fears and doubts.  Get in the water, and enjoy!