I am fascinated by rivers. They are a perfect metaphor for our lives. The statement that something is “water under the bridge” is the nature of life, and when we fully grasp this, we find peace. We cannot “do over” the past because it is gone forever. Dwelling on what was or what could have been only causes us suffering. A single drop of water in a river will never pass this way again. It has no choice but to continue on its way where it will eventually merge with the ocean, evaporate, and return again as rain. It is essentially the same for all living things that appear in a physical form, have a life experience, and sooner or later return to their source.
Human beings have deluded themselves into believing they can control their own lives and the world around them. They have erroneously assumed that other species do not have intelligence, when it is very probable that some of them are more intelligent than we are. They are most certainly wiser. Physical laws and spiritual laws are unchangeable. They are the basic structure from which all life on this planet has been designed. When we open the door to that spiritual self which resides within our physical self, we are provided with the navigational tools for a safe journey on this river of life. A friend of mine said it this way, “God always has my back!” All too often, we want to take control of the steering, but when we learn to listen to that quiet voice, trusting its guidance, we are often diverted from potential disaster.
When we step into this boat to begin our life journey, will we allow ourselves to simply experience it? Or, will we grab the oars, determined to control our destination? Ralph Waldo Emerson said it most aptly: “Let us take our bloated nothingness out of the path of the divine circuits.” This trip down the river may not always be a pleasant ride. Our natural curiosity compels us to want to know what is around the next bend. Will we suddenly find ourselves in white water, dangerous rocks, or even a torrential storm? Will we come upon a placid cove, where all is peaceful and serene for a time? When we accept not knowing what is around the next bend, we may find that life can be full of surprises. Wherever we find ourselves, the river will continue to flow. We cannot stop it. We cannot reverse it. We take each bend in the river as it comes.
