Lessons of the Water

The Yuba River is located not too far outside of Nevada City, California. At least the section we decided to visit. The day promised to be a warm one and indeed, even at 9:00am, it was already gearing up to be just that! We parked the car in a nice shady area and found our path to the river. It was steep and rugged, with loose dirt and boulders jutting out the side of the bank, and we thought about how it might be coming back up this path. Nervously laughing, we put that out of our minds for the time being.

Finally we made it to the river's edge and it was gorgeous beyond words! The sound of the water was hypnotic and soothing to our very souls. We quickly tore off our shoes and dipped our feet in the cold healing waters. Such relief and release. It was awesome!

Mark decided to move downstream a bit and I stretched out my blanket to sit on the bank and listen to what Spirit may want me to know.

Waves of emotion washed over me and I sobbed and sobbed. My face felt like a river had washed over it with salty streams of tears. What was there for me to cry about? Nothing and everything. I allowed all the tears to flow freely and as I did, I listened for anything that would bring peace to my heart once again.

As I sat there, I heard the water rush by. I opened my eyes and saw a huge boulder planted right in the middle of the stream. As I gazed upon the scene before me, the lesson of the water became clear.

The water has one destination in mind. It "lives" and flows to reach that destination. It begins as a droplet in the form of a rain drop or snow flake and then as it begins it's journey, it joins other droplets and together they flow to their destination. Some of the water evaporates and begins it's travels in perhaps another part of the world. Some pools in a puddle and becomes stagnate until a rain storm gets it moving again. Nonetheless, the water keeps moving in the direction of it's destiny. It is not all smooth flowing, however. There can be rocks in the way or even boulders, but the water does not stop in it's flowing and say, "alas, I cannot go on, because of this rock in my way". Instead, it finds a way around the obstacle and continues it's course downstream.

As I ponder upon my life and the "obstacles" that lay in wait for me, I, too have a choice. I can stop in front of my obstacle and proclaim all the reasons I am not allowed to continue my flow to my destination, or I can find a way around the obstacle and continue joyfully on my journey. Sometimes, when I keep my eye on the destination and the glorious-ness of that, I can float right over the obstacles. Other times, if I am enjoying my travels, I will find a way around such deterrents. Unlike the water, it is my choice. Flow with life or struggle against it. My choice is to flow.