Last weekend, I fulfilled a lifelong dream. I earned my scuba certification. Yea me!

I must tell you that it didn’t go exactly as I thought it would. I did well when we were training in the pool. I was able to demonstrate the skills. I also felt comfortable. When we did our final dives in the lake, it was not as easy for me.

The water was cold by my standards. I wore a wet suit; In fact I wore two on the second day. It was hard to keep my breathing controlled while I was cold. I eventually got it under control enough to proceed. Things were going well, for a while.

Then an unexpected problem arose. Many people had been training that day and the debris from the bottom had been stirred up. We swam into very murky water. At one point in time, I lost track of the instructor. I couldn’t see anyone. I panicked. Breathing well is the key to successful diving and when you panic, your breathing gets erratic.

The instructor moved into my sphere of vision and I tried to get control, but I could not and I had to bail. The instructor and the other lady training with me surfaced with me and we talked about what happened. I was glad to know that I wasn’t the only one panicked. The other student needed to surface for the same reason.

The instructor was very kind and understanding. He explained that these were not the dive circumstances we would normally encounter. He also assured us that he knew where we were even if we couldn’t see him. Once we were confident in his ability to deal with the circumstances, we resumed our dive. I felt more confident and I was able to perform the necessary skills to get my certification.

I learned some valuable lessons last weekend, about scuba, about life and about my faith. So here is a quick summation of the lessons learned.

If I want to stay the course, I need more practice. I also have to trust the tools and the guy in charge. I need to relax and know that I am safe in experienced hands. I can even be safe and calm in murky waters if I trust, stay focused and breathe. If I handle it right, even in murky waters I can accomplish the tasks at hand. Although visibility is bad, I can enjoy the moments if I relax and trust what I know is true.

I know that the enemy will not win. I know that even in the murky waters God is there. Even when it is difficult for me to see Him, he knows where I am. I can trust the tools and the Instructor. No need to panic, just breathe and focus.

“water closed over my head; I said, ‘I am lost.’ “I called on your name, O LORD, from the depths of the pit; you heard my plea, ‘Do not close your ear to my cry for help!’ You came near when I called on you; you said, ‘Do not fear!’ “You have taken up my cause, O Lord; you have redeemed my life.” (Lamentations 3:54–58, ESV)