That Whale Life

I don’t know where it originally came from, but there’s a metaphor sometimes used around the office here at Adventures in Missions. 

Basically, it’s this idea that there are two different types of people: 

Whales. Dolphins.

Whales are people who like to go dive deep. They’re often introspective, sit with their thoughts, and love to have deep conversations with others. They are motivated by a desire to know, analyze, and understand. 

Dolphins are people who are generally characterized as liking to stay close to the surface. They’re the playful ones that skip along the surface, the entertainers, and often found within a pod (group) of others.

[Now, before we get too crazy, here, let me put a disclaimer: one is not better than the other,
dolphins are not cooler than whales and whales are not more mature than dolphins…and don’t
go putting yourself in a box. Dolphins can dive deep and whales like to play on the surface, too.
It’s more about defining what you naturally lean towards, not what you always do.]

If you don’t know me well enough to immediately figure out which one I am, let me help you out here: I am a whale. 

Being a whale for me looks a lot like bringing depth to my relationships I build. I want to know people’s stories, the ins and outs of their heart and soul. I know how to build trust and safety, which allows people to let down their walls and expose the inner recesses of themselves. And I’m learning how to shine God’s light and love into those places as well. 

Yet, on my own, I dive so deep within my own mind that I can easily forget to come to the surface. I’m not afraid to go to down in the depths of hard stuff, which is a beautiful thing; but sometimes I am down there so long, I forget light exists and I can’t remember what breathing feels like. I begin to overthink and then I overthink my overthinking. 

 

As I’ve come to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of my natural self, I’ve also begun to learn a very important lesson. 

BALANCE.

While the depths are fun to explore, there’s great value in coming to the surface to play as well. There’s moments here at CGA where I’ve grown too focused on wounds that need to be healed and ways I need to grow, that I forget to simply enjoy where God has already brought me and the amazing people He has placed around me. 

So I’m learning. Learning to set down the burdens. Learning to come to the surface. Learning how to have fun and be joyful. Learning to enjoy the little things. 

It’s all about that balance. Personal growth is needed, but it should never come at the cost of living joyfully, either.