Rivers

I went on a bike tour of Chicago the other day and the guide mentioned the fact (if you haven't already heard it - it's only been brought up a thousand or so times since I moved to Chicago) that the Chicago River used to flow into Lake Michigan, but the city decided to reverse the river's flow to the Mississippi River to keep the Lake clean. To my knowledge, this is the only river in the world that has had its course reversed through a man-made project.

As I thought about this, I related it to events in my own life. I am putting forth some effort to make some changes in my life and it feels like I am trying to turn the course of a river.

There are physicists, geologist, and civil engineers who can probably explain these thoughts better (and tell me if I make any errors in this simile), but I think that in life we tend to be like rivers. If you pour water over an uneven and/or sloped surface, it will generally flow along the path of least resistance. On a large scale, like a continent, when water drains it will flow down the easiest path and eventually form brooks, streams, creeks, and eventually rivers. In my life, I think that my natural tendency is to take the path of least resistance also.

In rivers, the channels are cut deeper over time just as my own habits form patterns of routine. This isn't necessarily bad, rivers are a source of life. It is no accident that almost every major city in the world is on a river. However, sometimes a river's path needs to be changed. It is not an easy task, it is very daunting even to attempt because of the work and resources involved, but it can make the city a better, cleaner, and healthier place to live. I hope that my own efforts, with the help of prayers, can prove to be as fruitful.