Source

Source

There’s something fascinating that happens when you stand beside a river.

At first, it seems simple enough. You see the water moving. You notice where it is flowing. But if you stop long enough to pay attention, you realize you are only seeing a small part of the story.

A river is never just here.

A river is always coming from somewhere and going somewhere else.

Recently, we found ourselves reflecting on the source of Ten Mile Creek in Frisco, Colorado. The snow-covered peaks of the Ten Mile Range and Gore Range collect snow throughout the winter. As spring arrives, that snow slowly melts, filling streams that flow into rivers, lakes, and eventually into the water systems that serve entire communities.

When we think about the word source, it becomes a deeply meaningful word.

Source is where something begins. It points us toward roots, foundations, identity, purpose, and direction.

And perhaps that is why rivers offer such a powerful image for the spiritual life.

Following the River Upstream

When we consider the source of a river, we are asking two important questions:

Where does this begin?

And where is it going?

Those are also important questions for our own lives.

Water itself is remarkable. It is powerful, flexible, and constantly changing. It rises as vapor, falls as rain, freezes into snow, seeps into the earth, gathers into streams, and eventually flows into rivers and oceans.

Water is always becoming.

And so are we.

Perhaps that is why water has been such a powerful spiritual symbol throughout Scripture and throughout human history. We, too, are continually growing, changing, and asking questions about our source.

Where does your life come from?

Not simply where you were born, but where your vitality comes from today.

Where does your meaning begin?

Where does your faith begin?

Where is your life drawing its strength right now?

God as Our Source

As we meditate on the idea of source, our thoughts naturally turn toward God.

God is our Creator.

God is our Designer.

God is the source of our being.

These are deep waters to contemplate.

When we begin to understand ourselves, we often notice gifts and abilities that seem woven into who we are. Some people are musical. Others are mechanical. Some naturally connect with people. Others excel at organizing, building, creating, or solving problems.

These gifts influence the paths we take, the people we connect with, and even how we experience the world.

They are part of the unique way God has formed us.

“God is the source of your being, the one who was made manifest in Jesus, and whose love for you knows no limits.”

Recognizing these gifts can become an act of worship. Instead of seeing them as achievements we created ourselves, we begin to see them as expressions of God's creative work within us.

The Sources That Shape Us

Our lives are also shaped by experiences.

Where we grew up.

The landscapes that surrounded us.

The people who cared for us.

The teachers, mentors, friends, and family members who influenced our journey.

Some experiences became mountaintop moments. Others felt like deep valleys.

Yet all of them have contributed to the person we are becoming.

Author Jim Collins describes life as being shaped by both cliffs and valleys. The high points and low points of life often become some of our greatest teachers.

When we look back, we may discover that God was present in places we never expected.

In moments of joy.

In moments of disappointment.

In seasons of growth.

And even in seasons of uncertainty.

The river of our lives has been shaped by many things, but through it all, God has remained present.

Remembering We Are Not the Source

One of the most freeing realizations we can have is remembering that we are not the source of ourselves.

So much of our anxiety comes from believing we must carry everything alone. We become consumed with self-protection, self-preoccupation, and the pressure to hold everything together.

But when we remember our source, something shifts.

We remember that our lives are held by a love greater than our own efforts.

We remember that we belong to God.

We remember that our identity is rooted in something deeper than success, failure, achievement, or circumstance.

And that awareness lifts our eyes beyond ourselves into a larger, more beautiful vision of life.

A Gentle Invitation

As you move through this week, take a few moments to reflect on your own source.

Consider the gifts God has placed within you.

Reflect on the people and experiences that have shaped your journey.

Think about the cliffs and valleys that have formed your life.

And most of all, remember that your deepest source is God.

The One who created you.

The One who walks with you.

The One revealed in Jesus.

The One whose love for you knows no limits.

May that reflection lead you into deeper worship, deeper gratitude, and deeper wonder.

And may you find fresh life in the Source from which all life flows.