Whitewater Adventures 2

So anyway, it occurs to me that life is a lot like whitewater rafting in a couple of ways.

The first is this: life is full of ups and downs, periods of calm and periods of intense action, thrills and narrow escapes. The best part about the harrowing, life and limb parts in rafting, as in life, is that they never last. There are times, just as in my kayak, when you get stuck between two rocks (no jokes about being stuck between a rock and a hard place, please) and you simply have to stay calm and keep on working.

The second point is this: just as with my kayak being more difficult to navigate by myself than with a guide, life is like that also. For a Christian, it’s good to know that I have a guide. He has promised to never leave me nor forsake me (Hebrews 13:5); He’s with me in the calm and in the rapids. I don’t have to work alone. Check out these promises He’s made to me (they could be yours also): He said his grace is sufficient enough to get me through the tough times (2Cor. 12:9), He’s said that even though I’m in danger of being killed, I don’t have to fear anything because He is with me (Psalm 23:4), and He’s reminded me that if He is on my side, I don’t have to fear anyone or anything (Romans 8:31). There are many, many more. The point is this though, He never said there wouldn’t be “rapids”, but He did promise to be there in the midst of those “rapids.” In fact, His own disciples found that out first hand (Mark 4). They actually found that He could guide them through the rapids, He controlled the rapids.

Well, you might ask, if He controls the rapids, why not just eliminate them altogether, or at the very least, guide you around them? Good questions with good answers.

One recent morning, while enjoying my morning quiet time, I read a quote attributed to Shirley Dobson, Focus on the Family founder James Dobson’s wife. She wrote, “It’s a bit like river rafting with an experienced guide. You may begin to panic when the guide steers you straight into a steep waterfall, especially if another course appears much safer. Yet, after you’ve emerged from the swirling depths and wiped the spray from your eyes, you see that just beyond the seemingly “safe” route was a series of jagged rocks. Your guide knew what he was doing after all.”

You see, He knows the beginning and the end. He knows where the rocks are. Just as I can’t see much of the river from my vantage point in my kayak, I can’t see much beyond the next bend in my life. How many 1, 5, & 10 year plans have I made in my life only to be nowhere near the original destination when I got to the end of those plans? I don’t control much in life I’m afraid. God does, though. He knows where it’s better to go through the rapids to get to the calm, rather than run through the calm only to be grounded on the sandbar or the jagged rocks just below the waters surface.

The “rapids” also teach us something about ourselves, don’t they? In my kayak, I’ve learned exactly what I (and my kayak) can and can’t do. I’ve learned when NOT to try to turn (to avoid becoming a fiberglass and flesh dam). I’ve learned when my own strength is not enough to maneuver and when I have to rely on the river’s current. They’ve taught me to remain calm and think when things aren’t necessarily going smoothly; anger and panic won’t keep your kayak from flooding.
Don’t the “rapids of our lives do much the same thing? They teach us what we’re made of. They teach us that we have to rely on others sometimes. They teach us that some things never have been in our control and never will be. They make us stronger - if we let them.

In the end, hopefully they teach us to echo the Apostle Paul when he said, “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:11-13)

Next post: Noah's Ark

Whitewater Adventures

I’ve had the opportunity to go whitewater rafting three times now, and I can honestly say – it’s a blast! Alternating between periods of calm, where you can jump out of the boat and refresh yourself in the cool river water, and the heart pounding excitement of the roaring, rushing river, it’s both exhilarating and calming.

I know that two factors make a world of difference in my enjoyment of the trip. One is the water level. If your heart can’t handle a lot of adrenaline, go when the water level is down. Basically, it’s an “in-boat” tubing trip. The water is placid and the trip is leisurely. If you want excitement, go after some rains, or if it’s a controlled river, go when the waters are released. In this case, hold on for dear life and, for goodness sakes (in addition to your well being), listen to the river guide.

I’ve also recently begun to run my kayak through the rapids. So far, I’ve only done class 2 rapids. I’m feeling confident enough in my abilities that soon I will venture out into the class 3’s. The rush is even greater in my kayak than it is in the raft; perhaps because I’m in charge in my kayak. I either make it or I don’t. There is no one else to rely on.

One problem I’ve noticed in my kayak, and maybe it gets easier with more experience, but because I’m basically at water level, trying to read the signs of the river, especially for any distance, is rather difficult. In fact, my first time out, I mis-read some rocks, tried to correct at the last moment (a big no-no, as I’ve discovered), and went sideways between two large protruding rocks. Unfortunately, these rocks were not wider than my sideways kayak and I got solidly wedged between them. The more I struggled to free myself, the more I would dip into the oncoming waters and the more I filled with water. Things were not looking that great. I finally freed myself, with considerable effort, and my water-filled, very sluggish kayak made it to the next calm spot where I was able to bail out most of the water. My brother wasn’t so lucky on his first trip out, but that’s another story …

I’m thrilled to be able to say that this year Great OutDoors Endeavors will be taking at least two kayaking trips down the Rappahannock River. We would be delighted to have you join us on either, or both, of these trips. In addition, there is a possibility of a whitewater rafting trip on the New River in West Virginia. Unfortunately, I’m like the rest of you and have a “real” job to work around, so we’ll do our best to fit that trip in. Stay tuned and check in to our web-site under upcoming events, to find these trips.

All of this leads me (as you knew it was going to, if you’ve been reading any of my posts) to a point about guides and life.

Unfortunately, you’ll have to read the next post for my amazing insight. ;-)

Till then – God bless …

Be Still and Know

Job 37:14 "Give ear to this, O Job, and keep quiet in your place; and take note of the wonders worked by God."

How often do we really take the time to just slow down and reflect on the wonders around us? We are constantly surrounded by a whirring, humming world of sounds and distraction. We spend most of our time indoors. We wake in the morning in our warm, comfy beds, in our warm comfy homes. We climb in our warm, comfy cars to go to our warm, comfy office/store/shop. Then, we turn around and return in our warm comfy cars to our warm, comfy homes to start the routine again the next day.

When was the last time you paused, however briefly, on the walk from your car to your house and just looked up at the starts? Have you ever wondered at the sheer enormity of the heavens? I know, when I just glance at the canopy of stars that cover us, it's easy to just see a two dimensional sky. It's easy to forget the shear immensity of what I'm looking at. The fact that I am unable to count, on a clear night, every star in the sky. Or the fact that it is not simply a two dimensional painting, but that it has a third dimension, depth, that is measured in hundreds of thousands of light years. Or have you ever considered the physical laws the universe adheres to that make it possible for scientists to predict the rising and setting of the sun, the ability to tell us when the next eclipse will be, or the great meteor shower display will be. Those laws are there because there is a God of creation, a God of order, who placed them there. He controls all by the word of His mouth.

The writer of Psalm 19 knew. He knew that if you need to hear from God, one of the best things to do is to study His handiwork: The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world.

Job, in the midst of his epic time of trial, had to be reminded by God that there were things bigger than Job and that there was Someone bigger in charge. The Message puts it this way: "Job, are you listening? Have you noticed all this? Stop in your tracks! Take in God's miracle-wonders! Do you have any idea how God does it all, how he makes bright lightning from dark storms, how he piles up the cumulus clouds— all these miracle-wonders of a perfect Mind?Why, you don't even know how to keep cool on a sweltering hot day, so how could you even dream of making a dent in that hot-tin-roof sky?"

There are so many wonders we pass by and never take the time to look at. We are in a hurry to get to work, to get to the store, to get to our next appointment. We rush to and fro and never allow any kind of relationship to develop between ourselves and the God who created us for fellowship with Him.

What are some other "miracle-wonders" that God has performed/created that we never take notice of? Personally, I see them all around me. The computer I'm typing on, for example. Sure, I know that God did not reach down, touch the dirt and there was a computer there. But, what about the intellect given to the folks who designed the thing? God given intellect! And the physical laws in place that allow this computer to work the same way every time I fire it up? God ordained! How about when you look in the mirror? What do you see? Or, how about this question instead - How do you see? The eye is an engineering feat in itself and yet we take it for granted. What, you say - it evolved that way? Do you realize how many things had to happen in order to have the seeing eye "evolve"? The answer is overwhelming, mathematically, that it didn't happen, but if you persist, I'll leave you to your own "faith" that it did. How about the whole ecological cycle and the balance it needs to survive, thrive and maintain life? Do you really think it arose by chance? The circumstances have to be so precise in order to support life as we know it, I just don't see how anyone can not attribute it to God. Somehow, there are though; I guess we'll never understand each other ...

I guess my encouragement this week is this: like Job, I ask you to slow down and look around. Marvel in God's handiwork. Let Him amaze you. If you have a hard time slowing down on your own, come join us on a hike. It's so much easier to do things when you have a group to encourage you. If you're saying, "I can slow down, but I just have a hard time knowing what to look for or what it means." Come join us on a hike. Someone is sure to have been moved by something God has done and would be more than willing to share what they delight in. If you have a hard time feeling like there is any hope, come join us on a hike. It's nice to be reminded that even though we "don't even know how to stay cool on a sweltering hot day," there is One who controls the skies and everything in them ...

Carry Your Own *Burden*!

While doing some research in the planning of our upcoming trip to Arizona, I came across a bit of information that made me ask, "Are you kidding me?" It's not that it was that unbelievable really, it's just that I hadn't really thought about it before and it sort of took me by surprise. Let's see if you're reaction is the same as mine was.

Did you know: when you camp in the Grand Canyon and you have to "go", you know - have a (there's really no polite way to say this) bowel movement, that when you are finished you have to tote your own waste paper out with you. Seriously!

Now was I right? That's not something you would normally have cross your mind, but it makes perfect sense. There are no modern facilities out in the wild and when you think of the shear volume of people who visit, it makes sense that these things would, well, pile up after awhile.

After each, um, session, the paper will have to be sealed in a re-seal-able, plastic storage bag. We are going to have 8 people hiking and camping and I guarantee you that each person will be responsible for carrying their own bag out with them. Newsflash to those going, I will help carry just about everything else down into the Canyon - tents, sleeping bags, food - but I will NOT be helping to bear that particular burden. A guy's got to draw a line somewhere - this one is mine.

In the same way, the Bible makes it clear we are to help one another in some areas, but we are also to pull our own weight in others. Galatians 6:2 states, "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." We then read, in Galatians 6:5, " For each one shall bear his own load." Contradiction? Not really.

First, we have to understand what "burden" is being referred to. The Greek word here is translated "weight". This would be the "heavy" part of our Christian walk, the part that we are able to carry for a short time, but, ultimately, is able to crush us. The sins and temptations we struggle with and sometimes overwhelm us are a good example. We are told to help one another carry these causes of sadness and defeated-ness, to help our fellow traveler to carry on and not be crushed by the failure/temptation/trials/afflictions/whatever negative, potentially debilitating feeling is present. Not to condone any wrongdoing, but to sympathize with a brother or sister who has fallen and needs help getting back up. Remember the pitiful cry of the woman in the commercial, "I've fallen and I can't get up!" We don't ever want a fellow Christ follower to be in that position. By fulfilling this action we "fulfill the law of Christ." Remember on which two commandments "hang all the Law and the Prophets; in particular the second one?" Here's a hint: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." When you fail, do you want to be beaten down, castigated, or ostracized, or do you want to be restored in a "spirit of gentleness". (Gal. 6:1) This is the "tent, sleeping bag and food" of our hike. It's the stuff that weighs us down and we would rather not have to carry, but it's a necessary part of the trip - for all of us.

The other load, in verse 5, is ours alone to bear. In fact, that's what the Greek word means - a load. It's a load that, while uncomfortable, is able to be carried by each one of us. Every one of us will give an account for our own actions, thoughts and words. How did you respond to that temptation? Did you obey when you felt the Spirit prompt you? Remember Christ's and Peter's conversation in John 21:21-22? This is our hikers full re-sealable bag.

Here's an example to help clarify:
Say a good, upstanding, normally above-reproach-righteousness, man fails to heed the warnings of Proverbs 7 and falls prey to seduction. Afterward, he knows he failed and is being crushed by the weight of the failure. Like it or not, we are called to restore this one to a right relationship, with love and without malice and condemnation, with God and the fellowship of believers. This is carrying his "burden."
At the same time, the knowledge of that failure never goes away. Sure, he can know he's forgiven, but that knowledge is always there. He will always carry his "load."

So fellow hikers, know this - I can, and will, always be available to help you carry your "burden," but you're on your own when it comes to bearing your "load." In fact, I wouldn't carry that one if you paid me ...