Going With The Flow

Once a year, I and my family pack our things and head out for a much needed family vacation. It is a time for re-connecting with each other and creating some memories. As parents of two teenagers that are always on the move and rarely at home, these trips are a must and not open for negotiation.

Our pick of destinations is always a challenge. Both my children are boys and they have an enthusiasm for anything over the top active. Lounging by the pool or strolling through museums won’t cut it for them, nor their father I might add. So this one week a year, I bow to any personal preferences and hand the selection over to the men. Their decision usually involves some kind of adventure which this mom of limited mobility, and sensibility I might add, would rather participate in from a distance.

The stunning selection this year was a resort in the Bahamas complete with a water park on the premises. What was it that magnetically drew them to this destination? That would be the slide that finished its path in a shark tank. Not exactly my cup of tea. But off we went filled with excited anticipation of the fun we (they) would have. Not two minutes after arriving at the hotel the men were off to the multitude of slides and water attractions while I found my way to a chase lounge with an umbrella for relief from the heat. (Note to those of you who want to vacation in the Bahamas in the summer…you better like hot and I mean fry an egg on the cement hot)

After what would seem like hours in this heat, nearly five minutes according to my watch, I needed a refreshing jump in the pool. As I reconnoitered for what would be the best spot, since there were about a dozen or so pools, I stumbled on my favorite thing as far as water parks go, a lazy river. For those of you who aren’t familiar with water park terminology, this is a long winding river that meanders throughout the grounds. Your part is to sit on a tube and relax and let the current of the river bring you along. Since I had been up since 3:30 am I knew that it was exactly what I needed.

I found myself a tube, eased into it and set off along the natural flow of the river. You could only imagine my astonishment when I discovered that this lazy river was anything but lazy. In fact, I would categorize this it as a type A, high achieving, over active type of river complete with wild water rapids, tidal waves and slides. I was in for a wild ride beyond what I was prepared for.

Well I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t find some kind of spiritual application in this real life adventure. After all that is what this blog is about. So here is goes. Genesis 2:10 tells us “A river watering the garden flowed from Eden.” In the garden of the Lord there is a river.

Did you notice that the verse tells us that the river flowed? Healthy rivers flow. In scripture, water is an imagery most often referring to the Holy Spirit. As a river flows, so does the power of the Holy Spirit. Let see if we can build a real life application by comparing the portrayal of a stream as the Holy Spirit with my journey on the “lazy” river.

Firstly, there was the calm surge of the river. This was the optimum moment where you rest and allow the current of the water to carry you along. This would be the perfect walking in the Spirit metaphor that we would “think” is the way life in the Spirit was meant to be.

Then there were the rapids. They were wild and scary and took a great deal of strength and skill to manage. I realized that life in the Spirit can often be like that fraught with danger and a wildness that causes our hearts to miss a few beats. These times are often the hardest but it is where we learn how to stand strong in adversity and develop a deeper spiritual way of approaching life.

Then there was the tidal wave. Now as a first time traveler, this would scare the living day lights out of you since it was positioned in such a way that you never saw it coming. There was more then one casualty at this point in our journey. Spiritually, this would be the kind of thing that comes into our lives out of no where that nearly knocks us off our feet. The bad medical report, the company that is downsizing … you get the idea.

Then we have the oh so subtle but deeply diabolical diversion. That was the newbie. They were the ones who were new to the idea of staying in the flow of the Spirit (I mean river). They would come along and bump you out of the current. The frustrating thing is it took a great deal of work to get back into that flow once you were knocked out. I wonder if you can see the parallel in this one. Is there anyone in your life that keeps you from being spiritual? You know the one I mean. That one person who if they would just behave themselves, you would be so much holier. In fact, you might even be a pillar in the Christian community if they would quit knocking you out of the flow.

Lastly, there was the sneaky sense of comfort that came when the river was calm. This was detrimental because it would woo you into a false sense of thinking you were in the flow. If you were too passive and didn’t ensure that you were staying in the current of the river (what could and very often did happen for those of us who were hoping for the river to in fact be lazy), you could change course and end up in a dead zone. There was no way you were going to get back in the flow without making a conscious effort and determined will to get back on course. Have you ever felt like your spiritual life was in a dead zone? Maybe you have been too passive.

Quite a few challenges for a lazy river wouldn’t you say? But wait till you hear the good news before you decide that this kind of thing is not for you. As I traveled through these perils I noticed that I was not without help. Along the path of the river there were strategically placed lifeguards in the water to help those of us who needed it. Whether you were overturned by the rapids or if you found yourself floundering in “no where’s” land, there was always someone there to help. I liken this spiritually to those that God has place in your life to help keep you in step with the Spirit. They are there to offer correction to keep you in the flow even if that flow, at times, is turbulent. They don’t direct you away from the rough parts but they do help you manage them. Thank God for those faithful people He has put in your life to help you in those times. They are vital and precious and often rare.

Lastly, not only did the ones in the water offer a sense of comfort and security but I couldn’t help but notice the life guards stationed above us on the rocks. There they were, ever vigilant in making sure that everyone who chose to take this journey would arrive at the destination in tact. That is such a picture of our heavenly Father. He is well aware of the journey that is marked out for us. He knows where we have been and He knows where we are going. He is watching to make sure that we arrive at our destination spiritually whole. As you can see by this over worked metaphor, that doesn’t mean it will be easy and not filled with fearful disruptions. But God is watching to make sure that we will be ok. While our bodies might have been worse for the wear from the trip, our Spirits are well.

This Spiritual journey we are on is often frightening and confusing but I want to leave you with this one last point. When I finished the ride, my first thought wasn’t, “I will never do that again”. It was quite the opposite; I couldn’t wait to get back on. The parts that I wanted to repeat weren’t the restful easy parts, which are what I thought I wanted, but the white water rapids and the tidal wave. I learned a lot about my life in the Spirit this last week; it isn’t always going to be safe and restful. But what I discovered was that wasn’t what I wanted anyway. I wanted the wild and exciting portion that took my breath away. My desire was to stay in the flow of the Spirit wherever it took me because that is where the thrill is and that is where God is.

How about you? What do you want? What part of the “lazy river” do you find yourself on now? Are you riding the rapids, overtaken by a tidal wave, caught in the dead zone or just struggling to stay in the flow?

(Incidentally, I did do the slide into the shark tank. I don’t know what came over me…must have been the heat)