the river

have you ever stopped to marvel at the beauty and power of a river’s current? have you ever stood in awe and listened to the silent rush of the rushing stream? have you ever found rest by simply watching the glassy surface tumble by?

in many ways, our life can be compared to the wonders we observe from the river. our journey begins and ends somewhere along an infinite stretch. there are serene stretches and there are rapids. at times it feels as if we are leisurely floating, soaking in all of life’s sweetness. at times it feels as if we are drowning and there is no rescue. the stream itself, never stops moving. the current continues to carry us. in many ways, our life can be compared to the wonders we observe from the river.

right now, my life has felt like I have been pulled beneath the serene surface of peace and into the turbulent rapids of desperation. suddenly being submerged without warning, at first, I panicked. but in my kicking and fighting, in my struggle i realized that i was still moving with the current. in my struggle i realized that i was being carried through. in my struggle i realized that i was not drowning. in my struggle i realized God was teaching me how to truly trust Him. in my struggle, He has provided. in the turbulent rapids of desperation I had to be still to finally see light. and breaking out of the icy waters, gasping in the air i am grateful in a way that I have never been before.

i am grateful because i am sustained, i am grateful because i have been washed by grace, i am grateful because i have been saved, i am grateful because i have been carried through and have emerged with a new heart. i am grateful because what i thought would drown me, breathed new life. what i thought i would never get through, i have been carried through by faith, by the Current that has brought me to a beautiful place. a place that can not be reached by leisurely floating on top of the serene surface of peace, a place that can only be reached by the accelerated underflow of a place that takes trust to survive in and stillness to emerge from. a place that refines you and strips you and taunts you. a place that can either make you or break you depending on how you react. a place that requires you to lean into and truly believe like never before. a place where you truly fall in love with Jesus and His glory and His power and His love. a place of surrender.

have you ever stopped to marvel at the beauty and power of a river’s current? have you ever stood in awe and listened to the silent rush of the rushing stream? have you ever found rest by simply watching the glassy surface tumble by?