Currents

From my photo collection of the coast of Maine (summer 08)

Lately, I've been reading the book "Life of the Beloved" by Henry Nouwen, which has been a great read. He is a very plain writer who tackles heavy issues with simple and profound language.

One image he really created wonderfully for me was the way he described the soul as an ocean. The major players in the movement of an ocean are the undercurrents and the winds around the surface. Both can be strong, and both can create waves. Nouwen suggests that our convictions, the undercurrents, must be so strong, that they are what creates the waves in our lives. This is in opposition to having currents that vacillate and don't build momentum to change things. In this case, the winds can be strong enough to create waves. These waves are created from an external source. Nouwen insists that our waves must be created from inside.

This imagery was really powerful to me, especially as I hit the real world running. My convictions become even more my own and I must really allow them to control me and have them only be transformed by the most powerful of forces. I pray that the winds of the world may not whip me into a frenzy, but that instead I may be steadfast.