Blog 242 – 03.02.2016

Still waters run deep they say. And the famous 23rd Psalm says, “He leads me beside still waters.” Sheep I am told are easily spooked and do not like to drink from troubled waters. We are, a lot of us like sheep, and do not like troubled waters much. I think often we take comfort in songs like Simon and Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Waters. Many Christians thought it was talking about Jesus but I think the line “Sail on silver girl” was referring to a needle and taking drugs as a bridge over trouble waters.

I think this desire for a life peaceful and always calm is a great problem. We are not sheep and do not always have to have still water. In fact one of the most exciting and fun times I ever had was on a ride down the Rapids near Nantahala, North Carolina with my wife and young son. Though they gave us a mandatory safety and training class it was not completely safe nor tame. They had a camera set up to take our picture at the spot where the waters were the most troubled and just the expression on my son’s face in that picture was worth it all. He was surprised, excited, and a bit scared all at once. We all were and our heart’s were pumping. We were very much alive and excited to be.

Still waters are beautiful like a mirror but so are trouble waters with their power and majesty. It does not have to be either/or but both. Having an attitude of gratitude for everything in life makes everything a wondrous adventure not just the things we prefer. Sometimes the real treasures are hidden in the rough water experiences of life.

Your friend, fellow traveler, and lover of waters, troubled and still,
David White