Rocks in the way?

I have always been drawn to moving water; waves, rivers, waterfalls. There is something magnetic in the sound, whether it is a trickle or a rush. There is life and freshness and renewal in the unceasing movement. The water remains active, for there is no passive way to manuever around rocks and sticks, changes of direction and other obstacles. Should the water decide to stop working, the obstacles would soon create a damn and all would grow stagnant and lifeless.

So it is with us. There are always going to be trials that appear before us, beside us and around us. Jesus promised us that we would indeed have troubles. But we have a choice in how we react to those troubles.

We can choose to become overwhelmed by fear and stop moving forward. Soon the problems begin to pile up so high that we cannot move in any direction at all.

There is another option. We can choose to allow God to strengthen us to face what surrounds us, trusting in His unfailing love and grace that works in us. Sometimes God will remove the rocks; sometimes He will whisper in our ear and give us the strategy to move around the rocks; and sometimes He will fill us with enough power to simply flow in a mighty rush right over the rocks.

In any case, we overcome and continue moving onward.

"Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. " James 1:2-4 The Message

I thank God for the rocks, pebbles, sticks and stones for without them I could never hear the waters sing with joy.