Fish out of Water

I would imagine that no one under the age of 10 is unfamiliar with the old saying "fish out of water". There is even a game by this name that kids play at the pool. Have you ever seen a fish that has jumped out of it's bowl only to struggle to breath in a world that does not support it's life sustaining characteristics? It is a rather disturbing sight to see. When I was around 11 years old I had a fish tank with two fish and every couple of weeks I needed to clean out the tank. This required removing the fish and placing them in a water filled bowl while I emptied the tank in order to remove the filter and give the tank a complete cleaning. One day when I was completing this task that had become a mindless routine for me, I did not notice that while I was at the sink cleaning the filter one of my fish had jumped out of the bowl, leaving it helpless on the floor to flop around as it suffered in what I imagine was agony. Now, in my mind I knew that it was dying. However, the thought of grabbing it's slimy, near death body from the floor was paralyzing and it grossed me out. Unable to stand by and do nothing I grabbed it as quick as I could and threw it back into the bowl. I ran around the house in repetitive movement that resembled a wet dog attempting to get dry. I get chills and frown just thinking back on that moment. Almost as bad a when my rabbit froze to death because I accidentally left it outside over night after cleaning its cage, but I digress.

At this point in my life I now realize that just as my fish flopped around on the floor as it fought to survive in an environment it was not created to live, this is what we do as individuals each day. We fight to be people we think others expect us to be. We work jobs we don't enjoy, we date and marry people we believe will make us happy, we have kids thinking they will fill our emptiness, and for what? Attempting to fit a worldly concept of who we are supposed to be. We live as "fish out of water" each day we avoid living the life God has created us for. What if you were not created to be rich? What if you were created to be of service, rather than to be served? Are you okay being in the bowl of water God has for you? Or do you prefer to struggle for breath because you continue to jump on the floor chasing after a life that is not meant for you.

My "fish out of water" moments occur all the time. Understand that these moments in our lives do not mean that we are bad people, it simply means that we are in the wrong place at the wrong time or trying to be someone we are not. Somewhere on our journey we jumped from the bowl of water that God placed us in. It can also be confusing because even when we are out of our bowl God allows us to continue to breath, our breath may be shallow, but we are breathing none the less. We rationalize by saying, "if I wasn't meant to have this job, this man/woman, this house, this car, etc. etc. God wouldn't have given them to me." But remember, you can be a "fish out of water" and still enjoy and be blessed with the desires of your heart. However, nothing can fill the space set aside in your soul for your God given purpose.

In what ways are you a "fish out of water"? Is it your career, your home, within your family, or even in your own skin? In whatever way you find yourself struggling to breath, set aside some time to meditate on the source of the feeling. Once you identify it commit to jumping back into your bowl of water. That's what I had to do.