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I want my life to be flowing water and not a stagnant pond!

Let me give a little background into that statement.  One of the realities of life is that change is going to occur.  In a conversation that I was having today, we both acknowledged this reality.  I think there is always a part of each of us that hopes that things do not change.  This is most often true when there are a lot of positives occurring in our lives.  Just as much as there is a part of us that wishes to avoid change, there is an equal part that hopes for change.  This hope arises most frequently when there are a lot of negatives taking place.  However, we often have limited impact on change other than our ability to respond to, and at times, guide change.  We cannot stop change.

As I reflected on change this morning, the image of water came to my mind.  If you stand by a flowing creek or river, you realize that there is constant motion, constant change.  This movement provides opportunity for life and can be very refreshing on hot day.  Through the flowing water, we can capture some energy.  We see forward progress of everything caught up in its flow.

Another scene with water is one that takes place at a pond which is neither spring feed or receiving the flow of a stream.  When you stand alongside one of these bodies of water, you often detect an unpleasant odor.  Many times there are all forms of algae or other plant life covering the top of the water.  This pond is stagnant.  There is no movement and often no lasting life.  The reason is there is no change occurring with the water.

So if I carry the water image into my thoughts about life, I would prefer that my life be flowing water and not a stagnant pond.