METAPHORS FOR LIFE are incredibly
influential—at the personal level. They steer the deployment of our values and
belief systems. Many metaphors will derail our lives; the image of a river,
however, will provide a good path to a wise life.
***
Life is a
river,
So deep and
wide,
And only
with God,
Can we negotiate the tide.
Life is a
river,
Flowing with
force,
And we are
the boats,
Negotiating the course.
Life is a
river,
Of varying
levels,
Both and
between,
It fascinates and dishevels.
Life is a
river,
Dense with
abundant matter,
Enshrouded
as a mystery,
Thoughts of ours do scatter.
Life is a
river,
Which
sometimes runs dry,
Parched is
the spirit,
When all of life is awry.
Life is a
river,
That
occasionally freezes over,
Infinite
periods of stillness,
Until a soul-owned supernova.
Life is a
river,
From time
to time flooded,
Space and
time aquiver,
Until all its creeks are blooded.
Life is a
river,
It
shallows and slows with age,
Maturing
with wisdom,
Growing at every stage.
Life is a river,
Sometimes
rocky, sometimes smooth,
When we
take it patiently,
The problems we defuse.
Life is a
river,
About
which we can enjoy and reflect,
Standing
such is peace,
Anxiousness we deflect.
Life is a
river,
It ranges
from land to sea,
Float upon
it like a journey,
Hopefully we can agree.
Life is a
river,
Fashioned
in the earth,
Eternal
life is ours,
Only by Divine rebirth.
***
Myriad Images of the River Metaphor
There are limitless positive
images surrounding the river metaphor to assist us functioning as wise human
beings. The twelve above merely hone in on the fact that rivers reflect the
natural majesty of the Lord in the embodiment of creation.
Each of these images have
described a feature of rivers that is infinite in itself—and that is life; a thoroughly
superabundant concept. From the finite beauty of atoms and molecules, to the
exquisite machinery of the humble cell, to the relative infinity of galaxies
and the cosmos—rivers encapsulate the fullness of broader creation.
Whether our lives are, of a sense,
calm or they reflect buoyancy or turbulence, there is little doubt that the
metaphor of a river provides meaning that lasts.
***
We may search all our lives for
the right ideology to base our lives upon; many ideas filter through our
hearts, and we test these with our minds, applying them to action. But, the
river is a sounder premise. It’s as big as life and bigger than many
insufficient metaphors. This river, if we let it, is a flow to God.
Life is a river, deep and wide;
something so captivating, it cannot be denied.
© 2012 S. J. Wickham.
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