via Daily Prompt: Hesitate

Water that is deep or murky enough to prevent me from seeing too far from the surface is water that makes me hesitate.

I guess fear of the unknown or getting in over my head creates my fear.

Life is 150% like those waters.

Life presents us with many unknown factors and it is way too easy to get in over our heads. The only difference is that in life we can’t always hesitate.

My daughter has recently developed an obsession for gymnastics. She is constantly flipping and cartwheeling around the house. It is maddening. I just know she is going to round right off our porch or tumble right onto her neck. Seriously, it is maddening. The crazy thing about her gymnastics fixation is her lack of hesitation. Without any doubt she hurls herself forward or backward to work on her aerial or back hand spring. I am leery of signing her up for gymnastics lessons for a number of reasons: financial commitment, time commitment, potential for injury, and that she will lose interest as quickly as she fell into it. When my husband and I discussed signing her up, he said, “She could break her neck walking down the stairs. We can’t keep her from doing things because she might get hurt.” Then I told him how much it cost. (He was way more afraid of the price.)

When my boys were younger, they loved to play at the local park but were terrified of the bridge that runs from one slide to the other. The holes between the slats of the bridge were just too scary for them. They wouldn’t just hesitate before crossing the bridge; they flat out refused to step onto its swaying slats and would yell for me to rescue them. Not being able to see what was beneath those shadowy slivers was too much for them to face. Now they run across the bridge at rocket speed. After much encouragement they discovered that the faster they crossed the bridge the less consequential the cracks seemed. Life’s troubles can be the same. They are much less scary if we don’t hesitate and move past them as quick as we can.

Murky waters have held less fear for me in recent weeks as we have visited the creek, river, and the Lake of the Ozarks. With life jackets firmly secured, my children have shown me the joy that can come from lack of hesitation. When they flip or dive or float past me exuding glee, I know that joy is what can lie beneath when we let go of uncertainty.

As you face your daily hesitations, whether they be cartwheels, slatted bridges, murky waters, or changes in your career or family, have faith that your efforts will be rewarded. Don’t let fear hold you up. Hopefully you land on your feet. Hopefully you don’t get in over your head, but most of all I hope you are able to remember the potential happiness that comes from having faith in yourself.

By: Melanie A. Peters

P.S. Life jackets are always a good choice, prayer and those that love you are the life jackets for diving into life’s tough choices. Don’t hesitate to keep them close.