Soaking Up Shallow Waters

You've always craved depth.

In friendships, you've wanted to know every secret, every dream, every story. Staying acquaintances was never attractive and always exhausting. A friend was someone who would spend hours across the table from you as you stumbled along and strung words into sentences as you searched your heart and spilled it all. A friend was someone who remembered the details, challenged you in your areas of weakness, called you out on your bullshit, knew when you were calling a bluff, and walked hand in hand with you through the best and the worst life brought. The depth made it real. The depth made it meaningful. You desired more and more. 

In faith, you've wanted to absorb every word, every verse, every prayer. Being just a consumer or a sporadic attendee was never your way. Faith was something to dive into headfirst, to immerse yourself in wholly, to seek passionately and relentlessly. Faith was something that gave the rest of life meaning, gave you purpose, gave you a worthy Lord to worship, challenged your character, and grew you daily as grace transformed you and love embraced you. The depth made it meaningful. You desired more and more.

You've craved depth of meaning in art, in culture, in conversations, in debate, in literature, in music, in experiences, in travel, in love, in life.

Along the way, you've learned something: depth doesn't always come.

Now, you've learned to embrace the shallow waters.

You've found that some friends aren't meant to be blood brothers or sisters you spill your soul to. Some friends are perfect for hurried hellos in hallways, random texts after months of silence, shared adventures, or lots of laughter over TV shows and bad jokes. Some experiences aren't rich and full of complex meaning. Some experiences are just fun, just briefly blissful, just enjoyable and light. Some conversations stay on the surface, skipping along like smooth stones on the water, carefree and uncomplicated.

You've found that you need it all. You've found you need the balance. Life can't all be heavy, dense, layered with nuance and substance. The shallow waters splash over your soul like a breath of fresh air. It's freeing to find you don't need a wet suit and an oxygen tank to survive like you did when you were diving deep-- you can just splash around in the gentle waves as they lap at your ankles and tickle your toes.

You've found that there is beauty in this new way to be. You've found there is meaning in these things too, even if it isn't weighty. It's there. It matters. Enjoy those friendships, those moments, those experiences. Don't rush past them to get to the deeper things-- it would be waste to wish away all that can be found here.

Soak it up, all of it. You need it all.