Traveling Upstream Can Be A Battle!
Chuck Swindoll once said when he first became a Christian he thought it was easy. Then after a while he thought it was not so easy. After a little longer he thought it was a little difficult. And finally he came to understand that it was hard. Someone else once said, "If you think it is weak to be meek, try being meek for a week!"
The Journey with Christ is not an easy one. When I decided to create this blog the first thing that came to mind was the upstream journey of the salmon back to its birthplace. Cassandra Martin has a post on her blog that speaks directly to what was on my mind. Whether it's white water smashing against me or just the swirling current of which Martin speaks, I often find myself traveling in a direction that is contrary to that which others, including other Christians, are going.
Nearly everything Jesus did or taught was pretty radical for the age and it was definitely a journey upstream. Talk about bucking the system! And yet, even today He calls His followers to walk in His footsteps and learn from Him. Some days that cross can seem pretty heavy, but when I look up and say, "Lord, a little help please?" he never hesitates or wavers. Many times I don't even have to ask.
Even though it is challenging, it is still a most wonderful Journey and I am blessed with each step I take. I like to think that God appreciates His children questioning and prodding and searching for truth, even when it's painful. After all, He did give us brains to use and I believe He expects us to use them. Most likely some of those questions will wind up here. I can't say about the answers.
There is always beauty in the struggle. Sometimes it takes patience to find it. But it's always there. As Cassandra Martin says in her blog, "As His children, we are never meant to go with the flow, be swept along by the world, or take the easiest path. God calls us, like He calls the salmon, to move in a direction that brings us to His great purpose in our lives. A salmon can’t fulfill its purpose if it doesn’t make the journey upstream. Neither can we."
Are you ready to journey upstream with Jesus?
The Journey with Christ is not an easy one. When I decided to create this blog the first thing that came to mind was the upstream journey of the salmon back to its birthplace. Cassandra Martin has a post on her blog that speaks directly to what was on my mind. Whether it's white water smashing against me or just the swirling current of which Martin speaks, I often find myself traveling in a direction that is contrary to that which others, including other Christians, are going.
Nearly everything Jesus did or taught was pretty radical for the age and it was definitely a journey upstream. Talk about bucking the system! And yet, even today He calls His followers to walk in His footsteps and learn from Him. Some days that cross can seem pretty heavy, but when I look up and say, "Lord, a little help please?" he never hesitates or wavers. Many times I don't even have to ask.
Even though it is challenging, it is still a most wonderful Journey and I am blessed with each step I take. I like to think that God appreciates His children questioning and prodding and searching for truth, even when it's painful. After all, He did give us brains to use and I believe He expects us to use them. Most likely some of those questions will wind up here. I can't say about the answers.
There is always beauty in the struggle. Sometimes it takes patience to find it. But it's always there. As Cassandra Martin says in her blog, "As His children, we are never meant to go with the flow, be swept along by the world, or take the easiest path. God calls us, like He calls the salmon, to move in a direction that brings us to His great purpose in our lives. A salmon can’t fulfill its purpose if it doesn’t make the journey upstream. Neither can we."
Are you ready to journey upstream with Jesus?