The River and the Dike

I looked at my watch, it was 8:15pm. Rocks started to fall, one by one, until the entire barrier was swept away by the raging river..

Almost eight months ago, I decided to move to settle at a plain near the river. I considered the advantages of staying near it, and the disadvantages that it may impose. I knew that the river could give life, yet at the same time, it could also be a deep abyss that would inhale back life from those dwelling near it.

In spite of these, I stayed near the flowing river, still, but with safety measures, of course. I built a dike. To control the flow of the rushing water, my life, from being flooded in case the water rises. Somehow, it is a fail-safe mechanism that would save me in the near future.

For several months, I made the dike stronger, thicker than before. Each day, I fortify it so as to be tough enough to withstand the raging water. But as an old saying tells, "Even the strongest wall may fall apart", so was the wall that I have built for my dike. After some time, I noticed the cracks forming near the base of the wall. Afraid that the walls may collapse, I immediately refurbished the crevices that formed; I rehabilitated the dike until every fissure is covered.

One day, as I was busy mending the damages on the dike, my angel appeared before me.

"How long would you keep the river from flowing?” she asked me.

"As long as I can, you too know the risks that I may encounter if I did not build this.” boldly, I replied. "Soon, time will come when the river would be stable” I added.

My angel nodded, as if agreeing with my logic, and then she vanished before my eyes. There, my hands were still busy repairing the dike. I smiled seeing the dike back to its sturdy condition.

A few weeks later, I have noticed that I have been undergoing a vicious cycle: rebuilding the dike over and over again. Though it did not bother me much, as it was necessary to be in this process. I have noticed too that my angel did not bother me during this time; maybe she had understood my theory. What a relief. Until one night, she reappeared before me.

“Why are you so bothered by the river?” she asked.

"I do not know, I think I had enough troubles before, this dike would spare me from any future hassles.” I answered, hiding my fears.

My angel looked into my eyes and said, “You are convincing yourself that you needed this wall, but in fact, you can live normally even without it. Normal, life not bound by walls. I am not commanding you to do anything specifically, I just want you to think again about certain things.”

I bowed my head, and took a deep breath. I realized that she was right, I have been trying to evade things even before they happen, not allowing things to go normally. She’s right. I sighed. Again, she disappeared from my eyes. I looked at my watch; it was 8:15pm. A decision was made. I pulled a cornerstone from the dike. Rocks started to fall, one by one, until the entire barrier was swept away by the raging river.

Later that night, I talked to God. I laid my decision before Him, and asked Him to guide me as things would flow normally as they should. I yielded, putting my trust at the palms of His hands.

-AMDG