Enter The Flow
I’ve been spending many of my summer evenings at the river, swimming in the salty marsh river near my home in coastal Georgia.
Before I jump in, I watch the water. The current flows confident and trusts the tides to continually flow. I want to enter the flow. I want to feel the flow on my skin. I want, even more, to feel the flow in my soul. I want to enter a flow state.
Entering into a state of flow is not just for the secular world, sought through meditation techniques and metaphysical experiences. We can enter into a spiritual flow that has been ours to enjoy since the beginning of creation.
Flow is an expression commonly used to describe being so immersed in something that your entire energy and focus are captured. Anyone who desires to perform an activity with excellence or ease, from musicians to mathematicians, seeks a state of flow.
Psychologist and flow founder Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi said flow is “a state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience is so enjoyable that people will continue to do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it.”
I often experience flow in the water and experience more clarity and creativity when I swim. It’s all-encompassing and enjoyable. Time both speeds up and stops. But I find that the water only soothes my mind and mood for a while. My soul still longs for a deeper state of flow, one that offers constant refreshment and fulfillment.
As effortless as it is for me to transition to a mental state of flow in the water, I find I can reach a spiritual flow when I draw near to God. Whether I am in or out of the water, I can experience flow by simply acknowledging God’s presence about me. When I engage all of my senses to see God’s goodness and grace, nothing else seems to matter; the experience is so enjoyable that I desire to stay in the flow of his loving spirit.
In the same way, we immediately enter the flow of water the moment we jump in, we can immediately enter a flow with God’s spirit the moment we draw near to him.
“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you,” -James 4:8 ESV
This is not to say we will always feel the flow of God’s love like water poured over us. After all, we don’t always feel the blood flowing through our veins. We must actively put our hand to our heart to feel the beat. And sometimes we must take a leap of faith to feel our hearts pound through our chests. We must get in touch with the life already flowing through us.
There are a variety of ways to draw near to God, but the same posture: a wholehearted pursuit to flow with God’s spirit.
“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” -Jeremiah 29:13 ESV
Seeking God is described throughout scripture as a thirst for water. A Psalmist compared his searching soul with a deer seeking a flowing stream for a drink, saying;
“My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?” -Psalm 42:2 ESV
Our souls are quenched when we engage in a relationship with God, which is made possible through Jesus. He is the water that will satisfy our soul thirst.
“Jesus said, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink”. -John 7:37 ESV
If we thirst with a thirst for truth, and humbly trust in God’s ways, we can come to him at any time, appearing before God with no limitations. We can freely drink, no payment needed, and never thirst again.
Once we drink or experience God’s grace, we will never be the same. Jesus went on to say;
“Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” -John 7:38 ESV
Belief opens the floodgates of God’s goodness. A relationship founded in love is established and then refreshed the way rushing water creates a river. The stream of God’s blessings will continually flow. And we won’t be able to contain the goodness rushing through us; our hearts will overflow and the abundance of God’s goodness will flow out to others.
Each time I jump into the river, the shock of the water jolts me awake. My senses are sharpened and tuned to the way of the water. I am present, hyper-aware of my body in a new world. I flow with the water and forget myself.
Each time I come to God in prayer, the shock of his presence jolts me awake. My senses are sharpened and tuned to the way of his will. I am present, hyper-aware of my purpose in his kingdom. I flow with my father and forget myself.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Grace is a writer based in coastal Georgia. She invites readers to explore and wonder about the goodness of God and make their own faith discoveries. Her husband and cats cheer her on, swimming is her escape and cheese is her fuel.