Whitewater and Pools; Rivers and Life
"If
you don't get wet, you probably didn't have enough fun!" Armed with
this attitude my son, Garret, and I attacked the Devil's River with a
church group from the Fort Worth area. Judging by how wet we got, we
had a ball!The opportunity to share this adventure with Garret (and my Dad) made this experience particularly special to me. We camped three nights and covered 23 miles in two days on the river. For Garret, one of the highlights was the steaks we had in camp the first night. When it comes to eating, it just doesn't get much better than well-seasoned beef, cooked over a campfire and eaten with your fingers. Combine that with being in the wild and running some pretty serious rapids, and it was a trip to remember!
The parallel between our trip and life, highlighted by Dad in our closing devotion, has been on my mind much since the trip. The pools were relatively calm, making that part of the journey relatively safe and uneventful. On the other hand, the rapids were full of obstacles and turbulence and required us to make quick decisions, often without much confidence that they were good. This is where things sometimes got away from us, and where disaster struck. Twice, we filled the canoe with water, and once we lost it altogether. Now, here's the point while the pools were calm and safe, they were also extremely boring and monotonous. The adventure was in the turbulence and danger of the rapids. Likewise, the adventures of life are found when things get fast and turbulent. This is when we are most aware of our need for God's guidance and provision. While these times can be dangerous and scary, it is here that God's presence is most intensely felt, as He provides, delivers and guides us through the hazards. While I need the calm pools to rest and commune with God, a "safe" life that didn't include adventures with my Father would be terribly incomplete and dull!
