Recently a mother humpback whale and her calf traveled 90 miles up the Sacramento River, almost reaching the California capital of Sacramento. Along the way they suffered injuries from scrapes with boats and their health suffered from overexposure to fresh water. Thousands of people lined the shores of the river, watching them move up the river and then return to San Francisco Bay. The news today is the whales have made it back to the ocean at last! It's amazing how many people were fascinated by following the course of these wayward sea creatures. Many folks took an active role with noisemaking to try to herd the animals back to San Francisco. There's something magnificent and yet endearing about certain creatures, and whales seem to touch our hearts. One lady described the humpbacks' inland visit as a "profound spiritual experience".
The wayward whales reminded me of us...the wayward people. We may be following a path that seems familiar and true only to find conditions gradually worsening, like salt water turning to fresh for the whales. Unintentionally we may find ourselves exchanging great freedom, like the whales had in the ocean, for narrow and shallow river water, where we can't maneuver and it may be hard to breathe. Just as this pair of whales made a wrong turn on their annual migration, we often turn the wrong way...wrong decisions, wrong motives, or just plain lost. Fortunately we have a great deal of help "on the shore". The book of Hebrews tells us (Chapter 12, verse 1) "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." These witnesses are folks who have followed the Lord in faith and have gone on before us to heaven. The old testament prophets and even angels are interested in our challenges. 1 Peter 1:12 "It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things."
Yes, there are times when we are like the "Wrong-way whales". But we have help on the shore from heaven, itself, to guide us back to our eternal home, where there is plenty of room to move and air to breathe!
blessings,
Rob Smith
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