Just Go With The Flow -3/19/24
Although it was cold outside and I do not like cold weather; Bryant and I ventured out to do errands and pick up lunch for a picnic at the water front. Yes, he is that guy and I am grateful that he finds my idea of fun, adventurous.
We sat at Scioto Park (Leatherlips, for us locals) and the river was a ‘hot mess’ and showed all kinds of signs of being turned up side down. It was incredibly muddy and at first glance I thought the river was flowing in reverse. I guess that gives a whole new meaning to “Just go with the flow,” and “the river runs through it”. So, I said to Bryant as I watched the ducks try to cross the lake, “it’s not so easy to go with the flow”. Which seemed to me, at the time, a counterproductive, at best. Normally the ducks would just start with the flow and let the current help get them to the spot. But today, as the wind was blowing against them, I found myself thinking about their little feet working twice as hard. The undercurrent flowing one way and the top of the water being put into reverse. The ripples looked so confused and the bank was getting hit from both directions. Yes, in my head I was thinking about writing about this phenomenon, and here I am talking about going with the flow.
Water isn’t something that I think of as being compliant. I have read about river’s - which over time, have change the path that it normally takes. Usually it happens when a source of resistance is presented to the stream or river. For example, if a mudslide occurs, the water eventually takes the path of least resistance, not by plowing though it, but instead, it gently moves along the edge until it finds a way that takes it around the mudslide. We see this happen quite often in the Smokey Mountains when we visit our favorite spots.
The idea of going with the flow, suggests that it is easy, a path of least resistance but when life throws various elements at you as we see with the ducks resisting the wind, the current; or, life pushes you resulting in stressors for other things that need to be completed. You suddenly feel pressure as the flow becomes treacherous. You fear you might drown or, maybe its failure or a compromise that challenges your resolve to do what’s right. Going with the flow results often, in a reverse affect, as you start to feel compromised, and all that is important to you is now forced into “go with the flow.”
With a ‘water’ writing theme, I also look to God’s words.
Indeed, the Bible begins and ends with depictions of streaming water. From the Garden of Eden a spring bubbles up to form the source of four rivers that water the earth, the Pishon, the Gihon, the Tigris and the Euphrates (Genesis 2:6-10)
Psalms 1:3 New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (NASB1995) He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.
Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.’ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
John 7:37-9
In this text, Jesus talks not only about quenching or satisfying our own spiritual thirst, but also about receiving the power, through the Holy Spirit, to share the love of God with others. Once our spiritual thirst is quenched – or is constantly being quenched – we are empowered to share “streams of living water” through our witness to God’s love and point others to Jesus, the One who restores and refreshes and gives eternal life to all people.
Closing out with some final thoughts;
1. The gift of living water changes us. Seek his power source of “living water.”
2. It will never be easy for us to go with the flow, as Christians. We will always want more and will always desire to stand for truth.
3. Seeking the path of least resistance will not be our path. Instead we will thirst after HIS ‘life giving waters.’ Streams of living water that flow within us, will always be going against the path of least resistance.