We tooked off our clothes in a hurry. The sun has come up and it’s already noon. One after another, we jumped into the river. This is our favorite recreational activities during our childhood days. We are very much familiar with the river.
Sometimes we are in groups, the other times we are with few selected friends. Especially on Sunday afternoon, when almost all the children in our area are free, we enjoyed a lot in the river bank.
The most enjoyable days are when the current of the river becomes stronger – some days after heavy rain. During monsoon seasons, due to adequate rainfall, the river current has always been stronger. For a regular swimmer, those days are a treat!
We just keep ourself floating, the current would take us wherever we wanted to be. We don’t need to swim at all. We simply go with the flow. Just give one stroke when necessary, either for changing direction, or to get out of water.
We knew the turns and depth of the river as we go with the flow. However, there could be unexpected threat, new whirlpools, lying in our path. It is because of the change in the river bed due to incessant rainfall the other day.
Not all whirlpools are a threat for somebody who knew how to escape. Some whirlpools will take you down to the river bed, while some will simply throw you on the other side of the river bank. For a regular, we know how to and where to react. That was the level of our confidence.
However, there are mysterious things happening under water. Our familiarity did not save us always. During those monsoon seasons, the river would take few lives. There are always chances for accident or disaster to happen, even in the most unexpected ways.
Our familiar, most familiar, path too can be where we fall, in our walk of life. Our familiarity and area of expertise could be a threat in our walk of life.
Samson, one of the Biblical characters mentioned in Judges, was going with the flow in pursuing his desires. His character was referred to as ‘a person who was going down’. In the end, he was captured and died along with a pool of his enemies.
Many times in life, I’ve been confident. I told myself, I will not fall into unwanted circumstances yet the reality is different. When we become very familiar with the path, the surroundings and probable outcome, we are unable to find the trap. There we fall in the familiar path.
By simply going with the flow, it will take us to its predestined destinations. Much worse, we might get lost on the way, missing our kicks or stroke. In the river, the more we enjoyed the more we get tired.
Eventually, we need to get out of the water less we get drowned. If we stay late till we become exhausted, the possibility of losing our lives becomes greater. Those missed stroke of arms, in the appropriate timings, can cost our lives.
When it was time for us to go, we counted our friends to make sure no one get missing or drowned. Every life needs to be counted. If someone seems to be drowning, either we pull them out or provided our help. That is what friends are for.
When friends are with us, we can take pleasure even in flooding river. When God is with us we can face any situation, as we are confident inside in trusting Him. For a normal Christian, we must helped out our suffering friends, here believers, from getting drown in their misery
Now, the same applies in our lives too. Going with the flow could be always easy but can be fatal. As much as we enjoyed the flow of the river, we need to stay alerted. We need to seek the way of the Lord and not depend on our expertise. Our God valued everyone, not even one should perish. (John 3:16)
Especially for believers, we need to look out and not get absorb in our selfish ambitions. Our fight is more to what cannot be seen. Stay connected with God so that we don’t missed, those important stroke, in their appropriate time.
When we enjoyed life, sometimes too much contentment, in earthly creature and things, we tend to go far from God. If we don’t have anything, then also, we are unable to see things the right way. Too much poverty or riches, can blind us.
Let us not get carried away in our short journey of life. (Col 3:17) In everything, give thanks and performed to bring glory to our Lord Jesus Christ!
