I would have never thought I could learn so much from tubing down a river….
#1: Try new things. Even though I wasn’t overly excited about this activity, I faced my anxieties and enjoyed pushing myself out of my comfort zone.
#2: Enjoy fellowship in life. I was able to develop my friendships with the other 6 ladies that day as well. And we were able to laugh and relax together.
#3: Enjoy God’s creation. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon. The river and the forests surrounding it were refreshing. There was a stillness that produced peace as we floated down.
#4: Losing control is okay. I often didn’t like that I couldn’t control how the current carried me down the rapids and through the bends of the river, but as I relaxed, the river shot me out in a perfect way. Often when I tried taking control of my destination, I would run into a rock or end up too close to the bank.
#5: Sometimes we float in life alone, and sometimes we float in fellowship. I distinctly remember God speaking this into my heart when three of the girls were floating ahead of me, and the other three girls were floating behind me. I wanted to be a part of the conversations in either group, but I realized that I was able to enjoy the whispers of God when I was alone.
#6: Be careful who you tie yourself to… This relates to #5 as well. We need fellowship and accountability, but sometimes we don’t choose wisely or depend too much on the direction or assistance of others. Relationships can be dangerous for us, and we need God’s wisdom to show us when those relationships aren’t healthy to keep around–so we need to cut the tie.
#7: Buddies can be helpful. When I was going through a rapid, Susan and I were linked, and because the current caught her, it then pulled me through the rapid as well. Another situation occurred between Whitley, Autumn and myself, we were being pulled down a small river that was taking us the wrong direction. However, as a team we had each other to help us get through the circumstance. Having someone to face struggles with is essential in the Christian walk.
#8: Life isn’t always what you expect. The Lord is sovereign like that. We might think one way is better for us to travel down, but it leads to danger instead.
#9: Life can spin you in circles, loosen up and enjoy the ride. This is all about control. I didn’t like being spun around and around, because it often left me looking behind, instead of seeing what was up ahead. Isn’t this true for our lives though? We can reflect and remind ourselves of where we came from, but we have to trust the Lord with what lies ahead of us.
#10: Sometimes you aren’t helping yourself. This correlates with #9. We have to have discernment when we are harming ourselves. God calls us to work and not have a slothful attitude, but sometimes we just add muck to our situations because we think we can “fix” it. This leads me to #11…
#11: When you get stuck, don’t panic! When I was stuck on a big rock, I found myself attempting to get myself out of the situation. I was flailing about, trying anything I could to release my tube into the flow of the water (I was in full panic mode). However, if I would have let the current take its natural path, I would have continued on down the river…
#12: There will be boulders and roadblocks, but let them redirect you. I encountered many boulders throughout the river, as we do in life. God shuts doors and redirects us to a better path or opportunity, we just have to allow him to show us that new door.
I am humbled to know that the Lord can use any thing or situation in our life to teach us, as long as we are willing to listen.
