The waters around the Emirates are visually clear. One finds wonderful blues and greens in the seas. The lakes are visually clear, almost to the point of creating an illusion. The transparency I find makes being on or near the water wonderfully reflective. It is as if one can see everything, even though I know it is not always so.
As one travels inland from Abu Dhabi, one can find several salt lakes. Each varies in its appearance; some are supporting migratory birds while others are visually barren except for the colours reflecting the different types of mineral deposits. Visually, the clear unfiltered sight creates an image of purity, even as the colours hint at something quite different.
Knowing what is pure as well as what is not is rarely easy. We trust our senses, even though we know we cannot see everything. We want to trust the individuals in our lives, even though there are times when “they open their mouths and pollute the air.” (Romans 3.14). Life keeps replaying a series of messages in the hope that I will remember them today.
Not everything is what it seems. A reminder I hold is a question left hanging with me in a pub a long time ago. “Are you open to more?”
It is a difficult one to answer with certainty. Yes, I hope I am always open to more. However, there are decisions to take, actions that need to be implemented, and a life to be lived. How much more is enough, or is it ever enough?
Deciding what I do with what I may and can know is part of the freedom and responsibility I have as a human being. Everything is a choice. My choice yesterday does not dictate that it needs to be my choice today. There is an opportunity to learn and grow that is forever linked with the insights and truth available to me at any given moment.
References can reveal. The mineral-laced water looks clear, however, when I benchmark it against pure water, I see and know more.
