The Water Crossings of Life
David and I began our hike with our packs strapped tightly to our backs. Mine contained everything I would need for our overnight stay at our remote campsite: clothes, freeze dried food, two water bottles, a sleeping bag and pad, and a camping pillow. David’s pack carried our tent and his belongings.
As we trekked along the trail, we came up on a water crossing. We had studied the map and knew that we would have to cross the river on the way to our campsite, so we came prepared with our waterproof hiking boots. We looked for the best way across, but even the best way across meant dipping our toes in the water at some points. There was no way across that left us entirely dry.
Water crossings along hikes always remind me of the difficult situations and seasons we face in life. Most times, our life is filled with the beauty of the trees and the sun beams falling through the openings in the leaves, but then we come up on the seemingly impassable. We face obstacles, challenges, and trials that seem impossible to get to the other side of. But in my 29 years of life, I’ve learned that there’s always a way across: even if it’s uncomfortable, unlikely, or downright unexpected. And we will never make it to the other side entirely unscathed.
My Own Water Crossing
My water crossings have been both deep and shallow. If you know me personally and know my story then you know that I’ve faced various challenges in my life. We all have from experiencing heartbreaks, loss, life changes, mental health struggles, and financial hardship. I’ve overcome obstacles, but it wasn’t always pretty or heroic. Sometimes it involved slipping on rocks and finding myself entirely submerged. For most of my life, my trials have gotten the best of me.
Over the last few years, I’ve made it a point to walk in the wilderness of life rather than through it. That was the whole premise of this blog I created nearly three years ago. I still feel the temptation to rush through the hardships and the challenges. Amid beginning a new job and living out of boxes as we begin our move into our new house, I’m feeling that pull toward wishing away where I’m at. It feels mundane and it also feels hard. It’s like standing on an unsteady rock in the middle of a rushing river.
The water crossing I find myself facing today isn’t unbearable or impassable, but it’s certainly causing me to readjust my mindset and look for a better way across. It reminds me that I’m not in control as the current rushes toward me. Perhaps that’s what God intends for us as we face trials and challenges: He wants us to look for him in the midst of all of it and trust him to guide us across, for he’s the only one who can calm the wind and waves.
Facing Our Water Crossings
In the middle of the river with my hiking backpack, I found that there are three ways that we can face the water crossings in life:
We can come prepared for potential challenges in life.
We can utilize what we have in order to face them.
We can trust God to fill in the gaps.
We come prepared by remembering God’s truth in his Word and his promises to us. We hold firm to his truth and the truth of his character in being sovereign over all things and loving toward us. I often think of coming prepared as remembering things such as my waterproof hiking boots or first aid kit. It would be a lot harder to face literal water crossings and treks through the woods without them, just as it would be to face hardship without the truth of God’s word and character.
We utilize what we have by using our knowledge and prior experience to face trials head on. We remember all that God has done for us in the past and move forward from that knowledge. Just as a hiker uses makeshift tools to stay alive, we can use what we have to move forward in hardship.
We trust God to fill in the gaps when we fall short. Even if we lose our footing and what we thought was the best way across turns out to be more challenging than we thought, God gives us the strength and the wisdom to prevail, step by step.
Unexpected Beauty
As we reached the other side of the river, we immediately saw a cardinal gliding with the breeze, beauty we never would have seen if we hadn’t faced the water crossing head on. I believe that’s what God intends by allowing us to face trials in this life: to bring us closer to the beauty and goodness that we never would have experienced otherwise. He gives us glimpses into heaven and the glory that exists beyond this life. He carries us gently across the rough terrain so we may know Him and His goodness deeper than ever before.
Our water crossings – our trials and challenges – are not meant to hinder us; they are meant to bring us closer to God and closer to the person of Jesus. As we face our inevitable hardships in this life, let’s put on our waterproof hiking boots, step carefully along the rocks, and trust that God has our back in the middle of the river. He’s right there, our perfect Trail Guide.