Crossing the River

In the North Georgia Mountains are small streams that are ideal for trout fishing. They are not too big that you cannot cross. They are not too deep that you cannot just stand in and fish. But somewhere down the way those streams turn into brooks. The brooks turn into rivers which eventually flow into the ocean. So the best time to cross the river is before it gets to big.

The same is true in life. It is easier to change the course of your life before it gets to complicated. Like a river, our lives can get fixed as the years go by. We get in a rut and it is hard to get out. We start doing things out of habit instead of out of purpose.

I am not sure if it is true or not but the theory is that the "seventh-inning" stretch began when President William Howard Taft was attending a baseball game in Washington. Just after the seventh-inning the President stood up to stretch. The fans thinking he was leaving stood up out of respect. But the President sat back down and continue watching the game. the "seventh-inning" stretch is as much a part of baseball as yelling at the umpire and trying to keep fly balls from landing in your beer.

Patterns become habits and habits keep us in ruts. It is easier to cross the river when the waters are low and the rush is slower. The Good News is that there are no hopeless situations. The river never gets so wide that we cannot make changes. We can't always start over but we can start from where we are. The time for most of us to cross the river is before it gets to wide. In case you need some help I know someone who walks on water.