Water is so vital to all life forms, for plants, vegetation and animals as well as human beings. Many African countries struggle with drought, year after year, with people dying from the lack of clean drinking water. In other parts of the world they have freak storms and suffer flooding and loss of life on a regular basis. We, on the other hand, take it for granted, as most years we are usually awash with water, especially during the summer holidays, which is why so many people choose to holiday in warmer sunny climes. But every now and again we have a prolonged spell of sunshine and a complete lack of rain and the results become obvious in only a few short weeks as our gardens suffer from lack of rain and our streams and rivers start to dry up and we face the threat of water rationing in some areas. But being British, we take it all in our stride, because constantly moaning about the weather seems to be our national pastime and we all love a good moan don’t we?

I remember one warm summer’s day some years ago when my wife and I walked beside a stream and watched a group of children playing on stepping stones stretching across the stream to the opposite bank. The stream was quite low and the only danger they were in, was getting their feet wet, but as they enjoyed the warm sunshine and let out shrieks of laughter, here at least, all seemed at peace with the world.

But I sometimes think that life itself is sometimes like stepping stones in a stream as we step from one crisis in our lives to another. We move from one problem and its solution only to find ourselves facing another even more serious than we at first thought and so it goes on. Sometimes, as the water of life rushes by us we find we don’t know how to reach the opposite bank safely, but now and then the water is calm and we find we can face all that life throws at us and also find inner peace. Perhaps the secret of a really happy life is never to be afraid....but to step out with confidence in our faith in the Lord and make the most of every stepping stone he provides for us along the way.