Follow The Song

The other day I stood on the bank of the Santa Cruz River and imagined following that light path into the distance. The Santa Cruz has several claims to fame: it runs south to north, disappears completely for long stretches of distance as it runs quietly underground, and then reemerges to bubble along the surface until it dives down again. And, some of the bank area, like the one in the photo, is not easy to get to. I had to climb down an embankment, walk through a large, concrete water drainage system and then push my way through thick brush to find this little oasis. But it was worth the effort.

Birds sang from the tree limbs above me and the river sang as water struggled over fallen limbs and I sang: “when I in awesome wonder”. The impact of the experience was worth the inconvenience of getting there. I think I’ll save the moment in my “life metaphor” folder. Obstacles and discouragements and wrong turns and dead-end streets and dark times characterize life for many people, but I could hear the song of the river in the distance. The mystery and the melody kept me going. And look what I found!

I don’t mean to suggest that life is all about darkness or danger. It’s not. Sometimes it might feel like that, but it’s not. And that’s because light leads to Light. I know some of you reading these words are feeling your way along the dark tunnel or searching for the path through overwhelming obstacles. Don’t give up. Listen for the song of the river. It leads to Light. You may think the river has dried up or disappeared, but it’s there. Deep. And just beyond the next challenge of thick brush, it surfaces. And when it does, it sings. Follow the song to find the Light.