Dry land, trickle, walking, wading, or swimming

There are five approaches to God.  We can either stand on the shore, on dry land where there is no water; go to the temple and find a trickle of water, enough to know there is more than what's presented at the temple; walk in ankle deep water, enough to get our feet wet but not enough to make it difficult to walk; wade in waist high, half way in but still able to breath safely; or we swim, treading water, on the verge of drowning.

Today's reading from the Old Testament may be one of my favorites, as it describes Ezekiel moving from the temple, where there is a trickle of water, to the source of the water, the stream.  An angel guides him as he continues to move east where the water becomes more and more difficult to approach.

Thus it is with our God.  If we fail to approach to temple, we will never find the living water but will be left to our own devices.  If we only stay at the temple, we will get a trickle of the living water, but will be missing out on so much more.  The temple is important because we know for sure that we can find the living water at the temple.  When we lose our way it's important to know that we have a sure bet.

Traveling further, we find ourselves walking in the water, ankle deep.  Our toes enjoy the coolness and our feet are glad they no longer have to stand on the hot sand.  But what about our legs, our arms, our head?  They too desire protection, desire coolness, desire refreshment.

Further still we start finding it difficult.  Wading through waist deep water is treacherous,
which is why people do water aerobics and do water therapy, because there is a certain amount of resistance that helps build muscle and get the heart rate up.

Finally, we have our ultimately destiny, swimming and treading water.  When we don't know how to swim, we're amazed that any individual could do so.  Treading water takes so much energy.  The entire prospect is dangerous, danger lurking around every splash.  What if we sink?  What if we get tired?  What if we die?

God doesn't want any sort of action from us.  Yes, we need to love each other and we do that through actions.  But God wants us.  He desires creates us and unleashes us into the world that we might freely return.  That means going to the temple, following the trickle, walking in the water, wading deeper and deeper until we find the very source of Living Water.  We are to dive into that water head first, without trying to save ourselves.  If we try to save our life, we will lose it, but if we lose our life, we gain it.

Life comes from death.  Truly living comes from truly dying.  In all our daily circumstances, in the larger picture issues, in our prayer, with our pocket book, with everything that pulls at us, we must die.  As much as we're hidden in Christ, as much as we die with Christ, is as much as we will appear before God as pure, as much as we will resurrect.  Graces pours forth from our wounds.

We follow a Savior who knows his way out of the tomb.  Do not be afraid.  Dive into the living water head first and don't try to save yourself.  Have no fear of drowing, but know that it's the breathing that takes all the work.
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Reflection Questions:
Where do I need new life?
Where do I need to die so I can experience that new life?
Am I on dry land, in the temple, walking in the water, wading, or swimming?
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Jars of Clay - Work
 The music video is perfect for the imagery of the dry land, trickle, walking, wading, or swimming.
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Blessings,
Isaac