Last night I watched and was inspired by a video, that was
set to a sound track of classical music, of white water rafters on the Colorado
River through the Grand Canyon. As I
viewed the program I reflected that the ride is not unlike our ride through
life. There are peaceful, quiet times
where we float along – and if we are in spirit and in balance we marvel,
celebrate and give thanks for the beauty around us. When the waters get tumultuous we hang on for
dear life and put our trust in a power greater than ourselves. We think we are
in control but there is a hand guiding our boat and protecting us from
harm. It is during these times that we
often forget that that hand is there.
And we often curse the water and forget to notice the breathtaking
beauty around us and give thanks to the Creator who created it. Even those
rocks, boulders and waves are important in our spiritual growth. As we steer
our boat away from the rocks and come through the crashing waves we have
mastered so many skills. With all that
is going on around us we need to stay calm in our boat or we will surely run
amok. When we once again reach the
serene stretches we need to remember and give thanks for the strength and
skills we gained as we negotiated those rough waters. Those experiences taught us much about how to
approach the next difficult stretch which we know is somewhere around the next
bend in the river – they are inevitable
as we go through life. We need to remember that inner serenity is essential at
all points along that journey. How do we
find that inner serenity? That will be
different for each of us. Prayer to our
God and faith will certainly bring peace as Jesus calmed the waters on the Sea
of Galilee.
ow HoHo
And we must consider
who is in the boat with us. Do we have
we people who love us, whom we love and whom we can trust? We need wise guides with experience and
skills to see us safely through the “river of life” and friends and family who sometimes
need to lend a hand to help see us through to the peaceful waters. These are the people who celebrate your
successes and your shining inner spirit and hold tight to you in times of
trouble. Who is in your boat with you?
As I contemplated the sheer rock face of the canyon I
visualized the codes of conduct, societal mores, or teachings from the Bible,
Koran or other holy books that keep us from straying too far off path that we
are destined to travel. If we break any
of these universally accepted rules of honesty, truth, love of thy neighbour
and love of God we will certainly flounder and face serious consequences.
May your ride down the river of life inspire you with its
beauty and give you skills and strength to face everything on the water. May you use your hearts and eyes to mark the
beauty that God has given us to enrich our lives here on our earthly journey
during the peaceful days and most especially during the turbulent times.
Smooth sailing to one and all
Jeanne
