Never Underestimate the Power

Last Sunday, we took off for a kayak trip on the Wildcat Creek, to put in at Burlington and get out at Adam’s Mill. The bank at the put-in was steep and Joe helped get everyone into their kayaks. The river was beautiful… flowing nicely and winding back and forth. The trees arched over the river forming a canopy for most of the way. With bend after bend and as narrow as it was, there were a lot of log jams along the way. If you know anything about kayaking, you know that log jams can be dangerous and are nothing to mess around with. We had thirteen kayaks with us.

We came to a log jam that looked impassable so we all beached on the right side to look for a way to portage the jam. Cheyenne was coming down… and there wasn't much room left for her kayak on the beach. As she came, looking for a place to put ashore, she got caught in the current and was headed sideways for the log jam. Joe went splashing into the water to save her from what could have been a dangerous situation. He grabbed her kayak and sent her back to the beach. Since he was already wet, he decided to stay out in the river to help guide whoever needed it through the opening in the jam.

Sometime during the commotion Jake had gone through the narrow opening in the jam and was already on the other side. Several people got the idea that they would also go through too, and that’s when the trouble began. People were coming at it from all different angles and getting caught in the current. Jina and I got shoved to the far side of the river and had to back paddle upstream to get back across the river. Joe helped Alex through and then Jina and I went through on our own so there would be adults on the other side when the kids came through. Nancy was lined up to go next when all of a sudden Jessica came toward the opening at the same time. Joe lunged toward Jessica as her kayak was heading sideways toward the log jam, worried that hitting the jam might cause her to capsize. The current carried her through, but then Nancy became lodged against the jam. Joe had lost his footing as he lunged for Jessica and was feeling his way toward Nancy when all of a sudden, he fell into a drop off and went down in the river to his neck. The water was over his head and he had his paddle in his hand. It looked like he was in big trouble.

I was already way down the river showing the kids where to beach until everyone was through the jam. I saw what happened and began to paddle like a madwoman back upstream. I made it to the shore just on the other side of the jam. Jina, also down stream a way paddled right up to the jam against the current to help Joe if she could. By this time, Joe had managed to get himself in a position with his body across the logs so he wouldn’t be pulled under. Nancy was still stuck against the jam. Joe helped get Nancy around the jam and decided to hang on the back of her kayak as she paddled to the bank. He got out and probably thanked God… I know I did. Joe gave me a hug and headed back around the jam to help the rest of the kids.

Later, we all discussed how very serious the situation could have been and how very well everything turned out in spite of all our mistakes. At first, when Joe told the story, he told it kind of proudly… as if his own knowledge and ability had saved him from disaster. A few days later, he told me about an eye-opener he had the night before. He was lying in bed wide awake, when all of a sudden, he felt the same downward pull on his legs that he felt after he lost his footing at the log jam. He says it was not a dream or memory, but that the actual feeling came over him again. Joe had actually been thinking of going through the jam like you normally should in most river situations… feet first – downstream – head up and back. He realized that, in the river, when he felt that pull on his legs ‘something changed’. He had no fear or thoughts that he might die and he really didn't have time to think about it, but for some reason he shifted his body position from feet forward to leaning his body forward with his arms out which caused him to splay against the logs that were not visible above the water. If he hadn't done that, things may have come out very differently. Reliving the moment in bed that night convinced Joe that it was God who guided him to do what he needed to do. He now tells a slightly different story.

It’s funny how we like to take credit for so much in our lives. It is so very ‘human’ to think this way. Drawing nearer to God through Christ, we begin to realize that even the breaths we take are given to us. Every moment of the life we live is already known by him from beginning to end. I started to name this story ‘Never Underestimate the Power of the River’, but as you can see… I shortened the title. Never underestimate the power of God… or overestimate our own.