At certain times of the year, the morning sun is at just the right angle to reflect the rippling water of our pool into our kitchen and breakfast area. It’s one of my favorite things. I often sit with my coffee and watch the show. The light and shadows of the water’s reflection dance delightfully across the walls and ceiling mimicking the water’s activity. Something about those fluid waves of light just comforts me.
That got me thinking about life being fluid. One definition that Merriam Webster gives to “fluid” is “subject to change or movement”, another is “capable of flowing”. Those are fairly accurate descriptions of our lives, don’t you think? Just growing up changes us. I’m very different from the way I was when I was 5 years old, or 25, or even 45. Of course that is apparent in my body, but it’s also true of my mind. I certainly don’t think the same way that I did when I was 5 or 45 for that matter. Every day I’m learning something and forming new opinions. My mind is full of new ideas. If our lives were not fluid, we could not grow. Nor could we change. How sad would that be?
As we age, we may look back on our lives with fond memories or maybe with regrets. One of my go-to sayings is, “If only I knew then what I know now…”. The implication being that I would have made better choices then because I am smarter now. But if we are honest, we realize that we wouldn’t be as smart as we are now if we had not done foolish things in the past. Mistakes are often our best teachers! (So our regrets can be few.) I often think that I would like to have my 21 year old body again, but NOT my 21 year old mind. It would be way too hard to go through all that learning again!
Time is involved in the fluidity of our lives. The changes in our bodies and our minds take place over time. And time only flows in one direction – forward. We cannot go back and change any event or circumstance or decision that occurred in the past. Our pasts, however, are part of who we are today. We can’t change our past – it is not fluid. But we can learn from it. And we can grow in our understanding of what we have learned. How often have you changed your mind after your initial reaction to a particular situation? Perhaps, initially you were mad, but in time you calmed down and thought differently. Maybe you even reached the point that you could laugh about the situation. This all happens because of the flow of time and the ability to change. And since time only flows forward, our future is full of opportunity and promise. We don’t know what the future holds, but we know that it offers change and movement. It is fluid.
Think about movement. Our physical bodies are fluid, they move – sometimes a lot, sometimes a little. Time plays a role in our physical activity as well because time brings aging. For instance, infants have no trouble putting their toes in their mouths. Their bodies are very flexible. But I doubt we’ve ever seen a grandmother do that – her body is not as flexible. (And she has learned that her toes do not belong in her mouth – yuck!) But the point is that aging brings changes and changes are fluid, even if the changes mean less of something. When I think of fluid movements, I remember being on vacation with my husband and walking on an exercise path by the ocean. While we were strolling and enjoying the view, a young lady ran past us. Her gait was the most beautifully fluid motion that I’ve ever seen. She must have been a dancer because she actually appeared to float. It was the epitome of fluid movement and impressive to see. I will never be that fluid, but I can still move and change!
In addition to moving our bodies, we may move our location. I’ve moved several times in my life to new places including entirely new states. Moving, even down the street is fluid. It brings many changes – new surroundings, new routines, maybe even a new lifestyle. All of which bring new experiences and new learning, which add up to fluidity. I often say that moving out is hard but moving in is fun! Moving out means packing and sorting and disposing of unnecessary accumulation. But moving in is unpacking treasures, rearranging, and renewing excitement that may have been mundane previously. This does not mean that we have to move to be happy, some people may live in one place their whole life, and that is okay. There are still changes in their lives, just not in location. But they must take care in that situation to not grow complacent, thus limiting fluidity. For those of us who have moved multiple times, we must learn to flow with the changes.
Being fluid is necessary in our minds. People who never change in their mindsets become very rigid (which is the opposite of fluid). They refute new ideas, and change might even scare them. Their exposure is limited, and their views are narrow. This would be like living in the same house for your whole life and never going outside. So much of what life has to offer would be missed. But being fluid in our minds brings excitement to our lives. We look forward to learning new things because we look forward to new experiences and adventures. We appreciate that we have grown and can continue to grow in our understanding. Change is welcomed and anticipated. We would be miserable if we could not change. What if we could not learn from our mistakes? What if we could not correct wrong thinking? What if we never learned anything new? We would be lost and defeated. Being fluid gives us choices.
Now, all of that being said, we must remember one important factor. Obviously, water is fluid, right? Water is subject to change or movement, and it flows. It meets the criteria for being fluid. BUT, even with all its changing, moving and flowing, water is still water. It does not change its fundamental properties. This is also true of us. Our bodies are fluid. They age, they get bigger, they get smaller, they grow stronger, they grow weaker, but they are still us. No matter how many times you change your appearance, your body is still you. So, when you look in the mirror, don’t wish that you could see somebody else. See and appreciate who you are. No one else can be you. You – with all your flaws and shortcomings are the only you there is. We all know that we are not perfect, but we cannot focus on our flaws and shortcomings. If there are things that we need to do to take care of ourselves, we need to do them. If there are positive changes that we want to make, we need to make them. But we can’t be someone that we are not.
Who we are is not only our physical vessel, but it is also the convictions that we hold in our hearts. Those deep-seated beliefs make us who we are on the inside. And truly, that is far more important than who we are on the outside. We must cling to our beliefs and never allow ourselves to be talked out of them. We each have a fundamental concept of right and wrong; truth and error; good and bad. These concepts not only identify us, but also distinguish us. As Christians, our knowledge and understanding of God’s Word determine those concepts and set us apart from this world. We live above the worldly standard and are not subject to its schemes. Our hearts are steadfastly set on the truth of God’s Word. We are fluid in our growth of learning and understanding; but the truth of The Word does not change; it is not fluid. Therefore, it is a firm foundation on which we stand. Growing is a marvelous opportunity that God provided to us because He made life fluid. We can grow, move, change, and flow and be the person we really want to be. With God on our side, what’s to stop us?
Our lives can be like the beautiful reflection of the water’s movement – ever flowing and always changing. We can grow strong and tall because our lives are fluid, and the future is as bright as the promises of God!
Note to my readers: Let your life flow in the abundance of God’s grace and mercy. Thanks for reading!