The Journey to ME

A sudden roar catches everyone's attention. Rising from the water they see a huge menacing figure manifesting from the red and black smoke. It looks like a muscular man with a large club in one of his hands. His deep brow forms into a scowl looking down at her. Fear overtakes Marie, making her feel like a helpless child.

He growls at Marie, warning her not to go any further. He bellows, "I will spare your life if you turn over your treasure now!"

Another figure rises out of the ocean, appearing just as menacing. He begins yelling at her. "You talk about living your dreams. Do you really think holding onto your inner treasure will make it happen? You're in fantasy land. What will happen when you return to reality tomorrow? Give us your treasure and turn this boat around!"

Fear and Doubt grip Marie as she collapses onto the deck and places her head into her hands. Between her sobs she shouts, "They are right. This is all fantasy and not the real world. If I divorce Lloyd, I will need to pay bills, find a job and a place to live. I have responsibilities with Elizabeth."

Marie continues, "I can't do this. Turning around is so much easier, safer. But I don't want to surrender my treasure. Not when I just found it," she screams. "This is so much bigger than me. I can't do this. I won't make it," Marie says between sobs.

Captain T walks over to her and offers his hand, helping her to her feet.

"I'm here and we can get through this together. You are not alone. You're never alone. Remember what Stephanie and Rai said about the Divine Spirit. It is always with you. It's time to turn around and face your fears."

Marie turns around and Captain T places his hand on her left shoulder. He instructs her to quiet herself to feel the Divine Spirit within, guiding her.

She closes her eyes and takes a few deep breaths and starts feeling herself calm down. She feels a warm glow on her shoulder. Something tells her to focus on the outcome of her vision. She imagines starting a new life with positive people around her. She decides that her God-given dreams are bigger than the Pirates of Fear and Doubt.

She hears an echo that sounds like the Captain's voice, even though she knows he’s standing right next to her, "Focus on your vision and let go."

Barb comes over and places her hand on Marie's other shoulder.

The twins' words fill her mind. "Faith and Trust always defeat Fear and Doubt. Open your heart to let Faith and Trust in."

With her eyes still closed, she remembers the starfish in her pocket, pulls it out and envisions it shining the way. She feels the warmth of love surrounding her. She hears whispers, "Fear and Doubt can't harm you. The Divine Spirit is with you, protecting you with His love."

The calmness clears her mind. She says, "This isn't just about Elizabeth, it's about me too. Thinking we can stay with Lloyd and ignore his mental abuse is the real fantasy. I heard someone once say 'you can't unring a bell' because once it's in your brain, it's difficult to remove.

"If I stay and put up with his undermining remarks, Elizabeth will normalize this sort of behavior as acceptable. For the sake of her self-worth, I must leave him. The best gift I can give her is a strong sense of self-worth."

Marie continues, "While I’m sure he'll want visitation rights, I can feel assured she'll spend the majority of her time in a safe, supportive and nurturing environment. She can learn to stick up for herself and counter negativity by seeing how I handle it. I will be her mentor."

Opening her eyes, she looks at the Captain and Barb and tells them,"Since he's unwilling to change his behavior, I made up my mind. I'm leaving Lloyd. My daughter's self-worth depends on it. So does mine. Let's find a way to get through this blockade!" Placing her hand on her hips, in a gesture of defiance, she turns to face the obstacle. She isn't sure if the sailboat will make it. She decides to take the chance and Trust. She feels a connection to God and her thoughts focus on how everything is possible with Him.

She takes a deep breath and lets go of the Fear and Doubt about her new life. She comes to the conclusion she doesn't need to worry about how it will happen, because that job belongs to the Divine Spirit. After all, God gave her the dreams. She trusts He will make them happen as long as she takes inspired action.