Have you ever thought about a river or stream and sat on its banks and watched the water tumble over the rocks? It is quite awesome you know, it is a lot like our life. Bet you never thought about that! Take a minute, and think about this revelation. A river starts as a tiny spring somewhere high up in the mountains: and as other smaller streams mix with it a will grow into a larger stream and finally becomes a river in its own right. It sets its course, its banks and the journey begins, the River takes on a life of its own.
Life's Natural Flow
We are not so unlike this River. We start off as an infant, with no preconceived ideas of life, just "feed me." As we grow and mix with other youngsters our ideals change some and we experience a few more things. Then as we mature into adults our lives take on a meaning and we set our course. We try to stay within the banks we inevitably create for ourselves.The other day my dog, Spirit, and I were taking a walk along the Santa Cruz River. I was there for my own purpose and Spirit was there to jump over every thing she could find and follow her nose. My purpose was to give God a piece of my mind, because I felt He wasn't doing His job, bringing me clients. Ha . . . right! You know, you've probably had this talk before, "God, . . . I know you're out there and can hear me, how come they aren't lined up at my door already!" Right, you've been there, we all have. Well, as I walked along giving God a piece of my mind, trying to make Him realize I really do need to make some money now, yesterday would have even been better a little voice mused me by saying, "Have you ever noticed how the River twists and turns?"
"Well, yes, I suppose so" I answered, "but what does this have to do with me making money?" Now mind you, God does speak to us, sometimes just like this. We just don't pay attention. It just makes us crazy to think that we hear voices, right? Of course it just sounds like we're talking to ourselves. Well that's some relief, I suppose. I walked a little further and noticed how a log, half buried in the sand, had a bunch of grass, old tree branches, milk cartons etc. piled up against it. The little voice said, "See... see!" As I walked toward the sunken tree, the stuff stayed there, it didn't follow the River downstream, it was clean beyond the tree. It was then I started noticing how the River ran. There were sandy places, then rocks would spring up and the river would have to go over them. There would be a sharp turn maybe caused by the erosion of the bank where it had fallen into the path of the River. There were so many similarities that reminded me of my life that I started to really pay more attention.
A River's flow is continuous even if it runs into something, it makes decisions just like we do. Will I go over this obstacle? around it? or under it? Maybe I should just go a different direction altogether.
How Rocky is Your Life?
How many of you can close your eyes and think about your life and look at the dry river bed? Do you have large rocks where your life is really rocky right now? Or is it sandy and smooth sailing? Has there been a tree that has fallen across your River of Life and caused you to stop and make a life changing choice? Did you go around it, over it, under it: are you still dragging all the junk with you from it? Or have you left it behind and ran fresh and clear?Remember the River
It is not just getting to the other end; but the experiences along the way that makes the journey worth while. I would encourage all of you to get up early one morning and take a walk down one of our dry washes or river beds and really experience the River. Let him talk to you, ask questions, hear the "voices" it's okay. Look around you and notice how the River flows. Then look at your life and ask yourself: Am I a floater or a sinker? If you are a floater, you will float down the River of Life and enjoy it! If you are a sinker, you will struggle against the currents and tire yourself needlessly. Remember the River will go on, just as life goes on. So lighten your load. If you think about it, you can see things coming if you know where to look. Is there a bend in the River, a large rock? If so, look for an easier way around it, don't take the garbage with you, float down the middle of the River of Life and enjoy it to its fullest.About this Contributor: Heather K. Flanders, C.H.P Heather is a Certified Holistic Practitioner and has worked in the field of Energy Medicine for 15 years. She has developed the Systematic Bio Energetics technique and works with Young Living Essential Oils. She practices at Hands That Heal Wellness Center and has a website for the Holistic Minded Individual: A Healing Touch
