Don’t Worry – – – Go Deep

Go Deep.

1. Bring a friend, one of those good friends.
2. Not all friends will go deep.  Frustration  and sadness may result.  If this happens, flush eyes saline solution, drink plenty of water, and be nice.
3. Going deep too quickly may result in “The Bends”, also known as Depression Sickness.  If you experience Depression Sickness, go to a recompression chamber.

I’ve always liked those words “Safety Tips”, a bit of intended humor.  Yet, those three items hold truth, in this intentionality of going deep.  Putting different words to the three “Safety Tips, might look like this.

1. Going into the desert, into the deep, one needs connection with a trusted person: a friend, a change agent / a therapist, a spiritual advisor.  Another soul close by can help us stay objective, and stay rational.
2. And yet, there are times when no one is there.  When a friend will not go deep with us, or they cannot go deep with us, we might be disappointed.  Thankfully our walkabout is not a permanent situation, unless the sojourner chooses to go alone.  I read an excellent essay, by A.W. Tozer, entitled “The Saint Must Walk Alone”.   Tozer is not saying that the saint must always walk alone.  But there are times, yes, when the sojourner must walk a solitary stretch.

3.  Lastly, the third item above, about “The Bends”, is a metaphor for going deep.  One needs to be careful … our thoughts can play tricks on us.  To take a step further, our thoughts can affect our emotions, and sometimes not for the better.

As I look back over more years than I can believe exist, I am unfathomably appreciative of many experiences  … going deep: sometimes alone; sometimes with good people.  I’m not done yet.  You?