River of time…

No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.

Heraclitus

The quote for today’s blog was written thousands of years ago but is timelessly true. I think of many years ago when, as a young idealistic ranger, I led kayak trips on a wild river in a national park. Years later, as a wife and mother, my family and I went tubing down the “same” river.  Still later, as an active senior, I was loving dipping my toes in the water with friends in that “same” river. Sometimes, I fancied that I could see and hear a younger me from each point in time.  Still the same person and the same river, but different too.

Why does this matter? Because when we accept that we change over time, we can acknowledge that change is inevitable. We can consider how we have changed---what we have done well and what could have been improved upon. We can ponder who we were, are, and who we want to become. We can consider what we value in ourselves and others. We can reflect on how God has used the river of life to help us grow to become more a reflection of His love and joy.

A moment by a river might be just what you need to ponder on changes in yourself and your river of life. A time to be grateful for the wonderful things and even the hard things that have shaped you to be you, even as river carves out its’ banks to change its course over time. If you can’t go to a favorite place that you’ve known for years, simply experience a sunset or sunrise or some other tranquil familiar setting that will allow you to have a quiet reflective space. Be grateful for the positive changes and willing to continue to grow and change.