Have been going through a time of concern…not calling it depression...just traveling through some troubled waters. Have gone before my Heavenly Father, seeking the answers to questions in His Word and through my prayers. I know I don’t have the answers but I also know God does! It seemed like the longest time before an answer came back…stranglely it came in the form of a memory.
Was on Facebook this afternoon and looking at some pictures of some old friends we left behind in Louisiana. Their grown daughter was visiting with her parents and her grown brother and his family. The pictures were taken somewhere in Tennessee and were far beyond any postcard photographs I’ve seen.
As I scrolled through the photos enjoying the sights and seeing their family enjoy the outdoors, one shot in particular caught my eye. It was a photograph of the grandfather (our friend) at the back of the canoe holding a paddle and his grandson sitting proudly in the front of the canoe. The grandson was enjoying the canoe trip immensely.
This particular picture sparked a memory of a trip our Sunday School Class took to Buffalo River in Arkansas. It was a large group that included many children and a lot of canoes. On one particular outing, I was placed in a canoe with one of our Sunday School members. He, being an experienced outdoorsman and also a seasoned canoeist, I found myself lulled into the deepest sense of calm. The water was like glass. Just days before the very same river (due to heavy rains) had been deemed a Class 4 River…meaning only experienced canoeists were allowed on the river. But today the river moved us along and I watched with the utmost care every sight I could take into my mind. It was more than beautiful…it was holy! After a while I lay back in the canoe, so I could listen to the canoe move through the water and see the eagles soar over the sides of the canyons. Never was I afraid…never was I concerned about where we were going because I knew, John, our guide, had our canoe and our group well in hand. Just thinking about that trip floods my mind with snapshots of memories of that time on the river and riding unafraid in the canoe. And, when our canoe approached an eddy or some white water, John remained calm and navigated us through the troubled water. Never did he panic nor did he lose his grip on the paddle…sometime during the journey, John was so captivated with the sites, he lay the paddle across his knees as he allowed the current of the river to move us along.
Faith is like riding in a canoe. You need to have an experienced person, like John, to help navigate you through the troubled water and eddies. And, when you are about to miss a scene of a lifetime, your navigator points it out to you. “You won’t want to miss this one,” he would say. How effortless it seems for him to keep the canoe moving through the waters.
Jesus is our experienced navigator. When we "faith" a circumstance, we make the choice to climb into the canoe and sit down…allowing Jesus to steer with His paddle…trusting Him to guide you through the troubled waters…listening to His voice and seeing things He doesn’t want you to miss. And sometimes, you can even see Him when the waters are calm around us, sit with the paddle across His knees. Those are the moments He basks in creation and He sings! (Zephaniah 3:17)
Are you finding yourself still on the shoreline and not sure about getting in the boat? Climb aboard and sit down! Trust Jesus! It is a ride that takes a lifetime! And, oh, what a ride indeed it is...and then one day, when the river brings us back ashore, we gently step out of the boat and into Heaven. Amazing!!!!!
“If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.”
