Intentional Living in the Fountain of Living Waters
How slow living can help us experience mindful repentance.
Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.
Lao Tzu
What I deeply love about nature is that I don’t need to be anything but myself when I’m around her—I feel similar when I’m around children. There is no guile; just things of nature co-existing in each other’s differences.
My husband (G) and I celebrated our one year of being married! We chose the Bear Lake as our companion. Sometime during our week of celebration, G and I talked about setbacks and trials we went through together in our first few months. And we do admit, it was a lot—but nothing that ultimately outweighed the good. Funny enough, we noticed that our disagreements consisted of connected, similar topics.
We expressed how sorry we felt for all the times we projected our fears—which then turned to angry behavior, and or words that were not truthful. Moments like those, when we look back at them, can feel extremely raw and vulnerable to everything painful. It is those moments that give power to false stories we tell ourselves.
One sentence said from anger or kindness can change the tone of day, and even life.
The split second of deciding how we could express ourselves most authentically when our hearts are full of fear has never been more meaningful in building relationships we yearn for—burning bridges or creating safe haven.
Repentance or a change of heart can be such a difficult thing to go through, especially when we treat it as a destination or event. However, when we look at genuine repentance as a process that can mold our overall development—we can become more like Jesus Christ. It’s definitely easier said than done, but it is within this open perspective that God (our Father in Heaven) can help us see what He can make with our lives when we involve Him.
I have always had a hard time with forgiveness—mostly because I experienced unpleasant situations with it that left an awful taste in my mouth. It was through therapy and wholesome connections that I was able to take a step towards the truth of giving and receiving forgiveness.
I think this is why I feel drawn to writing more about living the Gospel with intention (recently)—so that living the Gospel does not feel like a normal way of culture or a chore that creates shame when we don’t follow through or fall short.
I do want to share a gift that I experienced—it was when I felt the soft, serene waters of Bear Lake from my tippy toes to my knees. I felt so deeply connected to what it really meant when Nephi symbolized the Fountain of Living Waters as the Love of God.
25 And it came to pass that I beheld that the arod of iron, which my father had seen, was the bword of God, which cled to the fountain of dliving waters, or to the etree of life; which waters are a representation of the love of God; and I also beheld that the tree of life was a representation of the love of God.
The ever-moving, steady, strong waters.
Flowing and refining rough rocks to smooth stepping stones.
Did you know when streaming water in the life of nature stops flowing, it gets dirty and immensely contaminated? It is the steadfast flow of water that keeps itself more likely to be purified and clean.
Intentionally living the Gospel can be your Fountain of Living Waters.
Steady and strong.
When setbacks and trials come to visit your soul’s nature, Jesus Christ can be your strength to become more intentional in living the way He taught us—even and especially in times when everything in life feels too much to overcome.
Jesus Christ is the greatest expression of God’s love for us—He can be our Living Water that strengthens and purifies us when we feel weak, still, stagnant, and contaminated.
13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never athirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water bspringing up into ceverlasting life.
This is for you, dear reader.
I invite you to write or follow whatever sparks you.
—Divine Discontent by Michelle D. Craig