On Solid Rock

So there we were. It was my first time whitewater rafting down stage five rapids and the two teenage girls in our raft suggest we flip our bright yellow preserver on purpose. I laugh. They sounded just like me at that age. Without better judgement, I quickly hear myself chime in. “Yes! That sounds like a great idea.” I was only half kidding but as our guide agreed to give us the intentional poor instructions on how to proceed down the river, I could feel my pulse begin to increase. My body is no longer made for adventures with such risky outcomes, but in all honesty, I was totally psyched and ready to experience something new.

All seven of us began to paddle hard to make it back up the way we came. We picked up our raft and carried it over a hill of large boulders so we could go down the rapids one more time the wrong way. Looking back, it was almost as though they were there to give us one last chance to back out. No one spoke up, so back into the water we went. This time, with a very different goal in mind.

Upon entering the river, I spoke a silent prayer for safety in my mind. Thankfully, God obliged regardless of our stupidity. We came to the point of no return and as we flew up and out, all I could see beneath the water’s surface were tiny white bubbles rising all around me. When I finally broke free from the water’s restrain, I quickly looked up to see who else survived our journey downstream. Unfortunately, I could distinguish no one. The fall spewed us so far apart from each other that each moving object looked alike. 

Although I knew there were other rafts on body patrol and that I would soon be scooped up, I decided that I couldn’t wait for someone else to come and rescue me. I swam as hard as I could across the rapids onto the only boulder in the middle of all the chaos. I forced myself on top and as soon as I was standing firm on a solid surface, joy washed over me. How spiritually symbolic this moment was! On Christ, the solid rock, I stand. It was just as the hymn proclaims. Directly in the midst of life’s challenge, there is definitely a peace in knowing God is an unwavering steady.

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

Mark 4:39 (NIV)