Its hard to believe that the summer has come and gone. Time seems to fly by and I can barely catch hold of the fleeting moments.

Life is a bit quirky, but I find that OK as I realize that I also am a bit quirky. The tough part is figuring out just where I fit.

When I was a kid, my dad used to take us fishing a lot on the Sabine River, in East Texas. One of the things that I learned during those times was that rivers are very amazing bodies of water. At times they are rushing, overflowing and washing away everything in and sometimes out of their path. While at other times they have little to no water and are easier to traverse by foot than boat. Both the high and low side of the rivers are wrought with perilous dangers, from getting washed away or crashing upon rocks or getting hit by floating debris. Unfortunately the fisherman often has no control of the river, he just has to learn to navigate it. This requires being in the river at times when is is flowing heavy and at times when it is low.

There was this one place, a bend in the river, we often fished at that we called “Car Bodies”.  At some time in the past, someone had pushed a bunch of old cars off into the river and so, here was this literal aqua junk yard. This area served as a good fishing spot for catfish, as they like to hang out under stuff. Unfortunately this was one of the most dangerous spots on the river as well. If you did not motor through the area just right, you could literally split the hull of your boat on a ragged piece of metal. So dad always ran the boat extremely slow and to the left bank to avoid the known hazards.

While a river can have such things as known hazards, it is often filled with unknown hazards. Large trees could be swept away and running downstream, . they could capsize your boat in an instant. Dad was always good at avoiding those. Sadly though their was one hazard we could almost find every time. It was like a magnet. Sand Bars! Literally little islands of sand just below the rivers surface. We could run aground in an instant. Then often someone was getting out of the boat, getting wet and pushing us off. Sometimes we would hit these and the motor would bury in the sand, sheering the prop pin or filling the motor’s water pump with sand. Then we were stuck. Without a working motor, you are at the mercy of the river. Dad was good about always keeping extra shear pins and a spare propeller, knowing the river has hazards. Once in awhile we would be dead in the water though. That’s when often you could find a fellow fisherman willing to tow you back to the boat launch for needed repairs.

Life is much like the river. Many hazards we know from experience but many more we experience as they come. Knowing the currents of life can be key to our success in surviving the hazards of the river of life. Sometimes however we need the aid of fellow fishermen as well to tow us in for repair. I pray that as you run the rivers of life you have a few reliable relationships that can help get you to safety and repair and avoid being washed downstream. If you don’t, reach out to those around you, there is always someone willing!  And of course, always keep an eye out for and help those who are struggling in the river.

Blessings.