Flowing Over the Obstacles

The stream meanders, making its lazy way through piles of fallen leaves, gray, barren trees, and rich, fertile earth.  My feet crunch the brown, yellow, red, and rust colored leaves as I walk closer to the little stream. Bending and twisting, it flows around the rocks and under the narrow walking bridge. Algae flourishes just beneath its surface, giving this little stream its green color.

 I find a flat rock near the edge of the stream where I can sit and enjoy its simple beauty. From my vantage point a few feet above the stream, I can observe its meandering path. As it flows from one bend to another, the lazy waters flow silently, peacefully, unimpeded.

 As I scan the length of the stream from my rocky perch, I notice how the water changes when it hits an obstacle: a rock, a fallen tree limb, or a constricted pathway. Then the smooth flow changes. The water roils, bubbling up out of its bed, falling back again, leaving a visible trail.

Even more important than the changed look of the stream is its changed sound. It flows ever so quietly until it hits one of those obstacles. It’s then that the silent stream gurgles. You know, that musical, joyful gurgling sound that water makes. Hmm…where the path is free and easy, the water flows silently. It’s only when obstacles lie in its path that the water sings.

How often I find myself complaining instead of singing when difficulties snag my way.

Lord, when the way proves tough, give me a song to sing.

Isaiah 49:13 “Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth, burst into song, O mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.”