The Wedding of the Rivers

I've been up since 3:35 this morning thinking about work...logistics and timelines… and why some processes work well… and others don't... Yet, heavy on my mind and heart are the people who are in the mobilization process.  I identify with their eagerness, struggles, and concerns to get from point A to point B.  While wrestling these thoughts with how can I make it better or what can I do to control things, God reminded me of the “wedding of the rivers”.



The "wedding of the rivers" in Fairbanks, Alaska

In the summer of 2010, at the end of a mission trip to Fairbanks, Alaska, our team took a paddleboat ride down the Chena River, which is a clear, spring-fed river flowing from the White Mountains.  The Chena River meets the Tanana River, which is a glacial river carrying silt and sediment from the Alaskan Range. At the confluence of these two rivers is an amazing natural phenomenon of being able to see exactly where the rivers meet.  I mean, literally, see it! The paddleboat company calls this the “wedding of the rivers” where the Chena and Tanana join together at this point and eventually flow into the Yukon River.

So, I thought about this phenomenon and looked up the word confluence because I knew that was the reason there was a wedding, so to speak.  According to my research with online dictionaries, confluence has Latin roots and basically means “together flow”.  (Please note this is a greatly abbreviated Latin etymology for the word confluence.) 

What am I trying to say?  I believe God is showing me the confluence of mobilizing people to help me explain it those I am working with, co-workers and applicants. I work in the mobilization department which is the point where the two rivers meet, the confluence.  One river is the mission field, the other is the applicant.  Seeing where the rivers meet or “marry”, as in my example, is part of my job.  How the rivers blend is God’s job.  I can see the rivers are coming together, but I cannot control how all the details will settle and eventually flow together to form the ministry that will happen. 

There are so many factors and people in play when it comes to ministry.  Therefore, I am so thankful He has shown me a way to help explain it.  I know God knows that I am doing my best to be diligent in serving Him.  Finding peace is vital for me to persevere in my job and I believe that is why He reminded me of the Alaskan rivers.  My greatest challenge as a mobilizer and applicant coordinator is managing expectations for everyone involved while maintaining the sense of urgency tempered with God’s sovereignty.

“In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps” Proverbs 16:9 NIV

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lords’ purpose that prevails” Proverbs 19:21 NIV