Kayaking

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.