STREAMS by Conny H.
Several years ago, when I lived in Pennsylvania, I had an experience that changed the way I looked at a lot of things, myself included.
It was late afternoon when I passed over the bridge coming out of the little town of Shinglehouse. I glanced down on the river below and wondered why the water level was so high. This little stream, the Oswayo River, looks more like a lazy creek than a river on most days. You can easily wade in it in many places. Today, however, it had swelled to at least triple its size. What had happened? I remembered the downpour earlier in the day. That was the explanation. With just a couple of hours of heavy rain this innocent little creek had transformed into a river coursing with increased capacity and making its presence known by its water’s roar.
I pondered this as I continued driving home the short distance to my house. I had just returned from our fellowship’s women’s leaders meeting and our leader had shared the vision the Lord gave her of reaching out to others. The emphasis was that one alone cannot do it all. I had struggled the previous year because I was doing just that – trying to do it alone. And, honestly, I wasn’t having much success.
Just like the Oswayo River, I thought, by myself I’m just a small trickle of a stream. What causes the water level of this river to rise so dramatically is that many, many little streams from all over the hills flow together. In doing so they have the power to change a small insignificant stream into a powerful force to be reckoned with. So powerful, in fact, that the landscape is literally changing as the Oswayo River carves out the banks on one side and slowly makes a new path for itself.
God used the picture of the streams coming together into this river to illustrate two things to me: a fresh vision for ministry and the importance of streaming together. If we can join together as women, each one sharing her strength and resources, we can make a difference in our area and in each other’s lives. We can change the spiritual landscape and make a way for the refreshing water of the Spirit to flow in our land, churches, communities and families.
This is something we also do on this blog. Each one of us contributes from her streams of living water. We trust as we share our part the Lord will use it together to make a river of encouragement that will touch the nations.
There is a line from a song (Did you feel the mountains tremble) that goes like this:
…and all the streams will flow together to wash away our brokenness.
Maybe you are struggling today to do it all alone. What if you reached out to a friend and said, “Could we pray together about this thing?” I think you’d be amazed at how light a burden becomes when you carry it away together and how freely the water will flow to wash away that brokenness.
Isaiah 43:19 (God’s Word Translation) I am going to do something new. It is already happening. Don’t you recognize it? I will clear a way in the desert. I will make rivers on dry land.
© Conny Hubbard 2014