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22/12/2009 Richard's Ramblings - January 2010

I’ve mentioned in my previous Ramblings a place we used to live called Mallacoota. Mallacoota was a lovely hide-away type town, nestled on the coast miles from anywhere else. About a mile out of town, a stream called the Betka River, flowed into the sea along a shallow winding course through the golden sands of the Betka Beach.

I recall one year, early in January, when Wendy and our girls went down to the Betka Beach for a swim, just as the tide was turning and beginning to flow out.  Needless to say, January in Australia is summer and a great time for a swim!

Often when we were at the beach we didn’t really notice the flow of the tide in and out, but because at the Betka Beach we were able to swim in the river near its entrance, the changes were readily experienced.

Swimming against the tide, whilst being a great way to exercise, has a sense of futility about it — heaps of energy expended for little or no gain. I remember once watching an aircraft, it was a Tiger Moth, flying backwards because of its slow speed into a strong wind. It too seemed rather futile.

How much easier it is to turn around and be carried by the flow. How pleasant to float in the water and watch the scenery of the Betka River pass with no effort required.

Unfortunately, there can be severe consequences as a result from the free ride — as Wendy proved that day a few years ago by the scratches and cuts caused through being drawn by the current into rocks at the river’s mouth.

Free ride?? Yes, sometimes it is enjoyable and even necessary. But for every free ride beware the sting (or scrapes and scratches) at the end.

If we want to have control over where life leads us there are times when the current must be fought, times when a course must be intentionally steered.

Back to the river: Even if you were to manage to avoid the rocks, the flow of the current soon dissipated and once again you were left needing to know just where it was you wanted to go, or risk drifting out to sea.

Direction in life is intentional.

Rev Richard Johnston
January 2010

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