Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Water & A Rope

I think back often on my sweet friend Natalie's bachelorette weekend.  It was such a fun time of celebrating her - a person who gives her whole self so that people might know they're loved.  What a blessing to have in a friend.  This weekend also held a first for me - first time ever almost seriously drowning. 

Our weekend adventures included whitewater rafting.  Now, if you know me, you know I'm an adventure junkie.  I don't often think before I do things.  I went through the required pre-rafting prep.  I put on my life jacket and my helmet and we headed out.  One run down the river - success!  Two runs down the river - SUCCESS!  And just when I feel like I'm getting the hang of it, on our third run down the river - life-changing.  We headed into our first rapid too slowly and the kickback current caught our boat, sending myself and another friend, Kate, flying out of the boat into the water.  I did what they told me in the pre-rafting prep, assumed the "human in the whitewater" position and waited for someone to help me.  Except it looked more like "fight for your life to stay flipped on your back, water rushing into your face, throwing you up against rocks and filling your lungs rapidly."   It was bad.  You can guess, probably by the fact that I'm writing this, that I survived.  But it was scary.  FOR REAL scary.  The kind of scary that gives you recurring nightmares about drowning.  But then, in the distance, there was my third rescue rope (yes, I missed the first two due to the force of the water).  The rope that bailed me out.

This little life happening reminds me so much of the grace of Jesus.  Especially on days like today and weeks like this week when I feel like I'm [figuratively] drowning.  There's a lot going on in my life - academically, personally, relationally, and a lot of bad news just keeps coming and coming.  Life looks a lot like that water to me.  Splashing in my face with vehement force, not giving me enough time to catch my breath, overwhelming and overtaking my life.  But then there's the rescue rope.  The rope that makes its way into the water.  I can see it and I can grab it but the water is still super strong.  It takes all of my strength to hold on to long enough to reach shore.  But then, because of the rope, I can stand up.  And, suddenly, the water is beneath my feet.  It's here that I can breathe, I can rest, and I can walk forward toward what waits in the distance.  

On that day, at the National Whitewater Center, what waited in the distance was the boat.  Yep, the same boat the threw me out [that vindictive little boat! :)].  My choice was walk around the river to get back to the top, or to just get back in the boat and ride out the rest of the journey.  You probably already knew what choice I made - I got back in the boat.  And in life, I choose to get back in the boat.  Because I am not afraid of water and I am not a quitter.  And the grace of Jesus, though it takes energy to grab onto sometimes, is always there.