Upstream

As I watched my two older kids swim upstream in the therapy whirl pool, life lessons unfolded to me. Each holding on the railing but with the slip of a hand one quickly grasps hold onto the other and pulls them back to the safety bar they were using to tether themselves upstream.

We each have our own climb but how blessed it is to have a partner, someone to notice the slipping and grab hold to pull us back to our position. With the constant pull in the opposite direction it’s easy to let go.

After some toil they let go and floated for an easy escape out. I started to realize to go against the norm is hard. To hold endurance is hard. To do what’s not expected takes determination and effort. It really is the narrow road that few find. To exercise muscles and strength in resistance is wearisome but not impossible. The bar of constant never changing support is there to help those looking to swim upstream. It reminds me of Salmon and we can liken to their behavior in some ways. At some point they return upstream. They are noticed, more vulnerable; perhaps to side talk and attacks. You are that salmon perhaps going upstream, against the norm. People talk and that is okay.

Google puts it this way “Salmon swim upstream to spawn, ensuring the survival of their offspring. They are born in freshwater rivers, migrate to the ocean to mature, and then return to their birthplace to lay eggs. This journey upstream is driven by instinct and a strong homing ability, using senses like smell and the Earth’s magnetic field to navigate back to their natal streams.”

We are not meant to stay in fresh water, we need to be penetrated with salt and upon maturity we make the journey upstream again. This time it is in still waters but with a deeper, calmer understanding. This will bless future generations as you unfold the truths, endurance and perseverance the Lord guided you through. You spawn or release and deposit the “eggs”, or the things growing inside of you in your journey in life. Your return speaks on running the race. Your spiritual senses and eternal perspectives are heightened as you learn to trust God to lead you to the place of your first love again. To rest in His presence again. That is where refreshment and pondering thoughts happen. That is the birthplace of new ideas. After the upstream, you can rest at His feet and feel at home.

Going back to the whirlpool sidelined with a steady bar, we can gain so many principals. In a spiritual sense, the bar is God’s constant truth; His Word. When we grab hold of it with our slippery hand we somehow find stability. No matter the illusion of the opposite stream or the circumstances surrounding the bar, it is constant. In our minds we only can question its ability to ease the burden or support but reality is that it never fails. The closer we are to the bar the easier it is, as we rely on most of it to handle to weight of our body.

Being mid-stream and holding on keeps us steady but not progressing. It’s a push and pull effect that wearies us out. But as we pull closer, out of midstream and into the sidelines the pressure seems to lesson. The wall and bar supports are guides that immensely bless those looking for them.

A lazy river is just that, we cruise complacent in our sins, upheld by the bubble floaty of lies that an idle life is what it’s about. In the end days there will be scoffers looking to satisfy their evil lustful desires and that will be their purpose in life. Are we idolizing self, accomplishments, image? Everything we have; from beauty, position, strength, talents is all a gift undeserved that can change at any given moment. When we stand before the King of Kings what will we have to show for it. Were we after His heart, relying on His truth, seeking eternal things and building with elements unseen that won’t burn up in fire? Lord help it be so for all of us.