It's almost as if.....

I went on a wonderful cruise and everything was better than I had ever dreamed. The weather was beautiful, the air was fresh and lovely to breathe, the ship was big and firm where nothing could go wrong and in my mind, life couldn't be any better.

Then, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, a gust of wind picked me up and threw me overboard into the deep, rough waters.
How did this happen, why would this happen. Everything was perfect and life was just how I thought it should be.
How do I keep my head above the rough water? How am I ever going to find the shore? Will I even ever make it out before my body is weary and grows tired of fighting?

Soon after the panic, I quickly grab onto a sturdy limb that somehow came floating by just at the right time. The waters are still rough but with the help of this limb I can rest part of my body so that I can make it a bit further. I am still in the water but am given help.

Time passes and now, instead of the limb, I am given a raft. It's small, but it is just enough for me to now lay in and not feel the bitter cold water or the taste of the seas. That was hard to bare but now, after given the raft, I am still amidst the trial of this water but am now protected a bit better.

It has been a while lingering around these rough waters while only having a raft to protect me and keep me dry but I have hope.
Hope of one day reaching the shore. The day I can step foot onto dry, safe ground and know that I will no longer have to wade in the murky waters.
I can know that when I step onto dry ground, I can turn around and see where I just came from and rest completely without the fear of being thrown back.
I have hope that when this happens, I can stand firm and say that though the water was horrible, scary and often bitter I am no longer in the midst of it but looking back at how I was protected and taken care of the entire way.
The hope of walking until I find someone and bring them back to the edge of the water and saying, "See, see that back there? That, right there is where I fell in. OH, and that area over there, that is when I didn't think I was going to make it, but look. I am OK. It was God that allowed me to go on such an amazing cruise, and God who knew that I would be thrown into the rough waters. It was also God that brought along the limb and the raft. And God brought me to the shore. Isn't that amazing?"

Some days, the view of the shore looks so close and other days it starts to drift away and become part of my imagination. The shore is there. Somewhere. I am sure of it!

I guess the question is that after I reach the shore, will I be brave enough to one day get back on that amazing cruise?