Ripples

One of the benefits of being an early riser is grabbing a hot tea, my book and heading down to the dock on a beautiful morning at the cottage.  Often, I will never crack open the book as I bask in the beauty of the sun while watching the mist rise off the lake.

If I am quiet enough and lucky, I am also treated to ducks, loons, otters and the occasional beaver swimming by the end of the dock, completely oblivious to the foreigner in their midst.  The serenity of the lake is broken only by the ripples that are generated by the path they are taking or the occasional fish surface.

On a calm morning lake, their small ripples can be seen crossing the lake.

Thinking of that reminds me of the lyrics from 'Ripples' from the band Genesis:

Sail away, away

Ripples never come back.

Gone to the other side.

Sail away, away.

In our life, our actions generate ripples all around us that we are unaware of.  The effects of those ripples are felt by those within your circle of influence.  And sometimes, the ripples go farther, to effect people you've never met.  

Once the ripple is released, it can't be stopped and it can't be taken back.  It is 'gone to the other side'.

Every so often you will hear about someone who has led a life releasing ripples that has affected many souls.  

Last summer, just after I shared my testimony (From The Inside Out), my friend's father passed away.  Bob's father had impacted many people around him and it quickly became obvious that while the family wanted a small gathering to celebrate his life, they needed to accommodate the hundreds of others that his father's life (ripples) had touched.

His father was born into a farming community at the start of the Great Depression and even as a child, his family grew extra food on the farm to give away to people who needed it.  Over the years, his ripples reached out to other farmers, associations, colleges and politicians.  The resulting memorial service included over 800 people and many others who stood or could not make their way into the church.  

For the private family graveside service, Bob used the glass illustration described during my testimony.  He talked about how his father had always been a glass that had allowed God's love to pour through him and into those around him.  And that this was a generational blessing to each of his children, to live by his example and to allow God's love to flow through them.  

Yesterday, Bob said his mother wanted to thank me.  February 14th had been a tough day for her as it was the first time she had been without her husband on that special day.  She started to despair  and then remembered the example of the generational blessing her son had described at the graveside.  She pulled out some of the cards and notes that her husband had given her over the years and re-experienced some of the ripples of his love.  

Sometimes we are fortunate enough to see the effects of the ripples we have caused.  

What sort of ripples are you making?  Have you ever been fortunate enough to see the effects?

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Thank you for taking the time to read one of the many Wandering Thoughts that God has been putting on my heart. If this has touched you in anyway, I would love to hear from you. You can leave a comment below and share your own personal revelations; or send me a personal message on Google+, Facebook or by emailing me.

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Have a wonderful day.