Encouragement for the Journey
“Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
- Philippians 1:6Parable: The Young Salmon and the Long River
Far in the mountains, in a cold clear stream, a young salmon named Lira began her journey.
From the moment she was small, she felt a quiet pull to swim upstream. The river was long, the current was strong, and the path was not always easy.
Some days the water rushed so fiercely that Lira barely moved forward. Other days she slipped behind rocks to rest, wondering if she would ever reach the place she was meant to go.
One afternoon, tired and discouraged, she swam beside an older salmon who had traveled the river many times.
“The journey feels endless,” Lira said.
The older salmon smiled gently.
“Every strong swimmer feels that way at times,” he replied. “But look behind you.”
Lira turned and saw something she had not noticed before.
The river below was long and winding, stretching far through valleys and forests.
“You have already come farther than you think,” the older salmon said.
Encouraged, Lira turned back toward the current.
Day by day she continued swimming, stronger than before.
And one morning, as sunlight touched the mountain stream, she reached the quiet waters she had been traveling toward all along.
Only then did she understand:
The journey had not been about rushing to the end—but about becoming strong enough to finish it.
Moral:
God’s work in you is a journey. Keep moving forward—He will finish what He started.
God’s work in you is a journey. Keep moving forward—He will finish what He started.