Nearly 6 million cubic feet of water careens over the edge to the boulders below giving the iconic scenery of Niagra Falls both its beauty and energy. There are actually two falls as the Niagra river splits around Goat Island creating waterfalls on both the Canadian and American sides. The force of the water is so great that the crest of the falls has receded nearly 7 miles from where it first began.
We visited the falls on our 25th anniversary and took a boat ride to the base. The power of the falling water resonated through our bodies while the sound deafened our ears. It was truly breathtaking.
Waterfalls are not alone in molding our landscape. The might of waves shape the coastlines of our planet from the shores of east Africa to the coast of California. The vigor of rivers carves canyons as vast as the Grand Canyons of the Colorado River in the United States to the Great Canyon of Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet. Yet with all the influence water has to transform the environment, it is powerless by itself. The source of its strength is simply that it yields completely to gravity. There is a greater source of power in the world than gravity--the One who formed it all. But often I find myself operating as if I were the source of strength for my life and the tasks God has called me to. And when I do, inevitably I falter. I imagine I'm not alone.
Living a yielded life is living a life in obedience to God. Jesus provides us with a perfect model of this level of obedience. By emulating the nature of water we become more Christ-like and better tools for the kingdom. God is more concerned with our willingness than our ability. What He calls you and I to do, He will equip us for.
Message for the journey:
Imagine the change we could affect on the world around us if we, like water, fully yielded and let God's unlimited power work through us.
©Ann Wilds
original post-2011
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