Those Murky Infested Waters

First of all, let me apologize for not posting for so long. Between other distractions, there was also the fact that I didn't know what to write. But, I'm back now (for better or for worse). Here's a short story to describe how I felt in my Biology class today.

As I slowly placed my foot into the river, I felt the warmth of the water flow in between my toes. This isn't so bad, I thought. True, you couldn't see through the water because it was so murky, but maybe there weren't water-people in the river. Just to make sure, I stood with one foot in the water to make sure that the water-people that some people said were in there wouldn't come and drag me under.

Once I gained more confidence, I tried to figure out exactly where the stones were. The same people who said there were water-people in the river said that there were stones underwater that you could stand on to be safe from the water-people. I had faith that there were stones in there, I just couldn't see them. As I searched for the stones, I thought I saw something move in the water. Uh-oh. Maybe there are water-people in here.

As I continued wading deeper and deeper into the water to try and find the stones that I knew were there, I started to enjoy the warm, swirling water around me. Maybe I don't need to cross the river. Ah, it would be so nice to be in this water all of the time. I could just drift with the current, instead of having to fight it.

Then I saw her. A glowing lady, shining blue radiance in all directions, swam up to me. "Are you one of them?" I asked. She nodded, and beckoned me to follow her. "No, I don't think so. I need to find the stepping stones to get across." She looked quizzically at me, and I could tell she didn't believe the stepping stones were there. I went on to explain, "Well, you see, I need to get to the other side of the river, but don't want to drown. So, I know there are stepping stones to help me get across safely. I just have to find them."

At this point, the water-woman started to look angry. Then I heard her inside my head, "Joel, there are NO stepping stones. The water is warm, and if you follow me, I shall take you to a far better place than the other side of the river. Come, Joel, and feel the power of the water."

"NO!" I shouted, and started to dash through the water. I could feel the stones beneath my feet, but as the water-woman's cold hand grasped my ankle, I slipped. As soon as I fell off the stone, more of the water-people appeared and started to grab at me. As I struggled to rid myself of their grasp, I tried to climb back up on a stepping stone.

Upon making it back onto the stepping stone, I started to jump from stone to stone. Careful not to stumble, I kept going even as the water-people chased me. Once I made it to the other side, I stood gasping, and I realized that if I hadn't believed the stones were there, I never would have made it across. The water-people were there because they tried to cross the river without the help of the stepping stones. After living in the water for so long, they refused to acknowledge that there were stepping stones. It was by faith that the stones were there that I made it, and the lack of faith that the stones were there that the water-people didn't.

(If you can't figure out how this would apply to biology class - think evolution - then ask.)