I've been a search and rescue diver for 12 years. Last week I saw something that has me questioning my faith in God.

I've been a search and rescue diver for 12 years now, and have seen some terrible things in my time. It was a job I knew I had to do, because there was no alternative. No human was bottom feeding fish food. I had to do it. But last week, I saw something that has me questioning my faith in God. Last week, I saw something that may send me to therapy for the rest of my life.<br><br>I was called out to a small lake in the middle of the country. A young woman (23 years old) had gone missing, and they suspected she had gone into the water. The police had been searching for days, but to no avail. They knew she hadn't gotten out of the lake, and they needed someone to look for her body.<br><br>I knew this was going to be a terrible case, but I had to do it. I drove to the lake and met with the police. They told me where they thought she would be.<br><br>*"So, she was last seen driving near the lake,"* the police chief said. *"We see tire tracks where a car went into the lake. We found her car in the water, but she was not inside."*<br><br>*"Okay, so you know where she went in,"* I said. *"We can start there."*<br><br>*"Yes, we do,"* he said. *"We'll give you the exact coordinates."*<br><br>I jumped into the water and began searching for the woman's body. After only a few seconds, I saw a shape in the distance. It looked like a body, but something was wrong. It was too small to be a body, and the colors were wrong. <br><br>I swam closer, and it was then that I realized what I was looking at. It was a bride and groom action figure, hugging each other. I had no idea why it was here. Was it a prank? Did some kids drop it into the water? Did the missing woman drop it in the water somehow?<br><br>I decided to keep looking. I had to find her body.<br><br>As I swam, I began to notice more objects on the ground. I saw a cake (with real frosting, now being eaten by the fish), a wedding ring set, and something that looked like a wedding dress. <br><br>No one had said anything about a wedding, but the scene of a wedding was laid out here completely. I decided to keep looking for her body. I had to be careful not to miss anything.<br><br>After a few minutes, I finally saw her body. But it was not a body. It was an action figure, wearing a wedding dress. It was standing near the cake, with the wedding rings in its hand. <br><br>I swam closer, and it was then that I saw the other action figure. It was a groom, standing next to her. It was holding a card in its hand.<br><br>*"What the..."*<br><br>I swam closer, and read the card in the figure's hand. It was in English, and was addressed to the missing woman. I read the words out loud.<br><br>*"My darling,"* I read. *"I am so glad you are my wife."*<br><br>She was recently married. This action figure must have been placed here, in the lake, by her husband. But why? It must have been placed here after she had died.<br><br>I finished reading the card, but then I heard a strange noise. I stopped and listened. It sounded like music.<br><br>I swam to the side of the lake and stood up in the shallows. <br><br>*"Hello?"* I called. *"Is anyone there?"*<br><br>A man was standing by the lake, about 100 yards away. He was standing with his arms out to the sides, and a small radio was sitting on the ground next to him.<br><br>*"I'm here,"* he said. *"I'm glad I found you."*<br><br>I walked up to him, and saw that the radio was playing a wedding song. It sounded like the one my sister had for her wedding. But I wasn't sure. I had never actually listened to wedding music.<br><br>*"Why are you listening to wedding music?"* I asked the man.<br><br>*"I'm the one who put the figures down there,"* he said. *"I wanted to get married, and she wanted to get married so desperately. Now she's dead, and I wanted to give her the wedding she deserved."*<br><br>I didn't know what to say. I didn't know if I should be scared or not. If he had killed her, he was a murderer. And if he was a murderer, he would kill me if given the chance. I knew I had to tread carefully.<br><br>*"Thank you,"* I said. *"I understand why you would want to do that."*<br><br>*"I know it seems crazy,"* he said. *"But I think it helps. You know what they say: 'fake it until you make it.'"*<br><br>*"I've heard that,"* I said. *"But I don't think it's about that."*<br><br>*"Then what is it?"* he asked.<br><br>*"I don't think it's about faking it until you make it,"* I said. *"I think it's about having something to hold onto in times of need."*<br><br>*"I think you're right,"* he said. *"I don't know what to do now. It feels so hollow."*<br><br>I felt a pang of sorrow for him. This man had wife who would never come back. It was terrible, and I could see the pain in his eyes.<br><br>*"I'm sorry,"* I said. *"I can't imagine what you're going through. Loss is never easy."*<br><br>*"I know,"* he said. *"But sometimes you need to let go."*<br><br>I nodded, and he turned to leave. I watched him walk away, wondering what had just happened. It was a sad case, but I was glad I had been able to bring some closure to the husband.<br><br>As I walked back to my car, I couldn't help but think about the case. It was a sad story, but it was a reminder that we are all human. We all have our own struggles, and we all have our own ways of dealing with them.