Don't Be a Rock, Be a River

 

I've been considering Moses. He was known for his humility which made him an asset to God. The times he stepped out of his humility put him in a lot of trouble. The event of striking the rock to get water instead of speaking to it, as he was told to do, got him banned from the promised land. Moses also dealt with a group of frustrating people, yet he also acted as a mediator between God and them when God wanted to get rid of them.

The idea of "don't be a rock, be a river" opens the door to better understand humility. The rock sticks up in the river, not moving, but causing the river to go over or around it. Sometimes the rock seems to impede the water's flow. We are like the rock when we insist on our own way. The river on the other hand, doesn't allow the rock to stop it. It gently flows over or around obstacles. There are times you can hear the river crying as it encounters a group of rocks. Rapids or waterfalls may impact the river, yet it continues on its course. The rock stubbornly remains in its place while the river moves on to create power, beauty and life, eventually making its way to the sea. The river uses the rocks in its way to enhance its beauty and increase its force.

If given a choice, I would be a river. The river doesn't fight the rocks it encounters it uses them. If I were a rock, I would want everything to be about me and would find forgiving and moving on near to impossible. I would impede other's lives and sometimes be the source of hurt to them

Which would you choose to be? A rock or a river?