It’s been a while since I have written anything. I really
need to get in nature more often. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of going
kayaking with my two daughters. This was my first time in a kayak by myself. It
was a lot of fun. I did not tip over even once.
The directions on how to get to our destination were not
exactly clear. This caused our 2 hour trip to become a 3-1/2 hour trip.
However, we are accustomed to taking adventurous side trips. (We do not get
lost, we take adventures.) We enjoyed the panoramic view of the Blue Ridge
Mountains, saw a pair of wild turkeys with little babies rustling around in the
grass, and a mama deer and her little fawn.
Upon reaching our destination to rent three single kayaks,
we were loaded on a bus and taken to a spot to be dropped off for our three mile
journey back. The river was high and running swiftly. On a normal day, this
would take around three hours. It was an hour and a half kind of day.
The river is dam released, so the water is very cold. The
three of us hauled our kayaks down to the water’s edge and gingerly stepped
into our vessel. Excited and nervous at the same time because this was the
first time for two of us on a single kayak. We pushed off and started our
journey down stream. The weather had a fifty percent chance of rain, but the
sky was partly cloudy, with lots of warm sun peaking through. There was a
gentle breeze. Perfect weather.
As I gained confidence, I would maneuver my boat to go
backward and sideways. Occasionally, I would see something on the bank of the
river and paddle hard to go back upstream against the current to see what it
was; to see what I’d missed. Most of the time, the current was too difficult
for me to go back up. That didn’t stop me from digging in my heels and dipping
the paddles deeper into the water, determined to go against the natural
direction of my journey.
Once in a while, I would be able to catch a better glimpse
of what I went back for. However, when I would turn around and go the direction
I was supposed to go, the experience was much more enjoyable. I even found
myself paddling toward the small, little rapids and being thrilled with the short
rush and cold splash of water. When not trying to go back, I was able to see
the incredible scenery all around; the greens of the trees, the blue sky with
soft white clouds. The sporadic homes built at the river’s edge were gorgeous.
I could even dangle my feet over the sides of the kayak into the cold,
refreshing water.
All too soon, the experience was over.
This trip caused me to make a connection between this journey
and my life’s journey. Too often, I find myself paddling upstream, thinking
something back there or over to the side is better than the path I am on. I
struggle and struggle to go there. In the meantime, I miss the excitement and
pleasure of going with the current of my own destination. When following the
path that God has for me, I can even delight in the rapids, the rough places,
knowing that they are short in reality. I gain confidence and experience by
going through them. I become stronger. I can sit back and enjoy the gifts and
blessings all around me.
I know that this journey is way too fast, that the
three-hour trip is really an hour and a half. My prayer is that I learn to quit
paddling upstream; to relax and enjoy the journey.
