Back To Home Page To Archives - Spring of Life - H. Roger Bothwell Swimming Upstream The earth had turned me away from the sun yet another time and the sky was glorious. Mauve clouds were strewn across the western horizon midst a 70- degree summer evening. I was standing on the Old North Bridge at edge of Concord, Massachusetts in the shadow of the Minute Man Statue, but my thoughts were not thoughts about the Revolutionary War. Instead I was staring down at the tea colored river flowing under the bridge. Directly beneath me a painted turtle was swimming upstream for all he was worth but he wasn't making any headway. The river never tired. It just kept coming. If he was going to make any progress he needed help. Finally it got too much. He took a breath and sank out of sight. There are days when most of us think we are swimming upstream. We get to work only to discover the inbox is fuller than yesterday. We open our credit card bill only to realize we are losing ground. We just gave to the church roof fund only to learn the church also needs a new furnace. We put new tires on the car and find out the exhaust system is going. We rejoice to realize the value of our home has inflated but so has our property taxes. Well, fellow swimmers, I have good news for you. When you weary there is someone there to help. Jesus promised, "Come onto me and I will give you rest." Try Him. He works. He probably wouldn't pay your property taxes but He will give you the patience to roll with it. I'm Roger Bothwell and my address is roger.bothwell@verizon.net or 151 Old Farm Rd. Leominster, MA 01453. Thank you for your support of our faith ministry. Past devotionals can be accessed at Archives