Fish Swimming Upstream

Life’s a beast sometimes. We feel like a fish swimming upstream. Salmon are well known for that practice on an annual basis. I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing that phenomenon of nature in Alaska. During the spawning season hundreds of thousands of salmon struggle to make their way upstream in the rivers and streams that dump into the ocean waterways. While on that journey they,

·         Fight and clamor for space

·         Struggle mightily to find their way up ever narrowing streams

·         Are prey for fishermen and wildlife looking for an easy catch while making their way

·         Face a multitude of obstacles such as rocks, ledges, blockages, crowded pooling spots and shallow waters

·         Tire drastically due to the constant fight against the rushing water and obstacles—but they never stop their journey.

The spawning process is instinctive to the salmon, and their focus never wavers. It is a natural part of their being to complete their journey to the spawning areas.

In our hearts, don’t we as humans have inborn natural instincts as well? Our need to survive is certainly one most often named. Another is our need to follow goodness and reject evil in our lives. For many of us, the goodness instinct is a belief in God and a desire to follow Jesus. At times in our Christian lives that instinct brings us times when we feel that we, just like the salmon, are swimming upstream against any number of obstacles. Yet, despite those obstacles, we keep focused on the journey. Sometimes we just have to remind ourselves that we don’t care what’s in the way, we’re going to make that swim, and we’re going to make it in spite of the obstacles.

Bottom Line Thought: Nature offers us many analogies we can apply to our daily lives, such as the phenomenon of the annual salmon run. Can you find any that apply to your daily life and walk as a Christian?