I had always been taught that God is a Rock, and my firm foundation. But lately, I’ve been playing with a new metaphor: what if God is Water?

There is something to be said about God being a rock. Rocks are sturdy. Rocks are lasting. Rocks are strong. I’m thinking more along the lines of mountains here, maybe even a very, very large boulder. They are not easily moved or easily changed, they are steadfast and constant. There are scriptures describing God as a rock, you only need to flip through the Psalms for a few moments to see that (Psalm 62 is a nice read if you’re looking for something in particular).

Maybe because this is the first time I’ve lived near any body of water but I have been drawn to the beauty of Elliott Bay and the Puget Sound. Simply breathtaking! There are as many different beaches and one can imagine: sandy, rocky… okay, that’s all there really is, but they are equally fantastic! I’m a frequenter of Alki Beach in West Seattle and have had the opportunity lately to sit and watch the water. There is power and strength in water, prime examples being floods, hurricanes, and tsunamis but we tend to forget the power of streams, brooks, and rivers. Was not the Grand Canyon made from the Colorado River over the span of 17 billion years? That’s a quiet power that cannot be denied when you stand at the edge of the Canyon. Ancient Egypt depended on the annual flooding of the Nile to sustain their crops and allow their civilization to continue. Water can bring life in its path.

Jesus says that He is the Living Water. I know he was speaking metaphorically, but physically humans cannot live without water and I am beginning to understand just how much I cannot live without God. For this season of my life, God is like water, calling me to the edge and encouraging me to dive in. Maybe the next season will show himself to me in another way, but for now I enjoy the serenity of presence in water.