The story of how I almost drowned.
It was just like any other day out at the beautiful countryside of Nuutsaku. Team Meno had been living out at this campsite for about two weeks, nearing the end of our stay at this ministry. The marshy green nature, the smell of pine floating through the air, and the shimmer of the sun on the lake set the stage for many solitary walks admiring my Creator.
The day before we left, I decided to take one last walk through the forest. It was a rather chilly day, so I dressed in my coat and boots and headed out down the path past the barn. I made it safely across the bridge constructed of three tall birch trunks placed parallel against each other. These trunks connect the two pieces of land about three feet above a creek that flows from the lake. I loved the esthetics of the makeshift bridge and it always reminded me of that one scene from Dirty Dancing.
Continuing my walk into the trees, I stopped only to admire and photograph the scenery along the way. After a half hour or so, I turned to make the slow journey back to the cabin.
I found myself easing my way onto the steady balance beam of a bridge again. As I was almost halfway across I thought to myself, “man, it would really suck to fall off of this thing.” No more than two seconds later, my right foot beautifully and ironically misplaced itself on the tree.
The fall gripped an air of serenity accompanied by intense panic as I plummeted in slow motion, unable to truly form any sensible thought in my head other than “embrace it.”
Hitting the water I froze, sinking quickly as every inch of fabric on my body soaked in the cold and grimy muck. After what felt like minutes, my thoughts returned and action made its way to the forefront of my mind. My boots sunk deeper and deeper into the mud as if I were struggling against quick sand. I tried with all my might to propel myself off of the soft creek bed, only to discover that it was delaying my freedom.
I knew my phone was seated comfortably in the pocket of my saturated coat. Nonetheless, I had to save it from becoming completely waterlogged, so I stretched my phone clung hand in the air, unable to see quite what I was reaching for. By the grace of God, my arm caught hold of a trunk and I was able to pull my head out of the water enough to catch a hard wrestled inhale. Clinging tightly to the dead tree, I wrapped my other arm across and locked my fingers around my wrist as I coughed out the water that had so swiftly filled my lungs. Pulling up hard, nearly losing my boots, I fought to trudge my way up the bank of the creek.
After several minutes of relearning the basics of breathing and ridding my stomach and throat of the nastiness of the dirty creek water, I couldn’t help myself but to break into a complete fit of hysteria. I literally laughed, out loud, like a mad man.
A. Because I had just been saved.
and
B. What else can you do?
I regained my composure on the ten minute walk I had to get back to the cabin. The entire trek I wondered how I was ever going to keep this from my team, but realized that was impossible. They were very kind to me-got me out of my sopping clothes, cleaned off my phone (which miraculously still works btw), and brought me a blanket and hot tea. Once I was with them, it was easy to play the whole thing off as a silly little mishap. I wanted to laugh at what happened to me, knowing the weight and significance at which that moment would hold in my memory for the rest of my life.
Someone very beautiful and wise once told me, “get your butt in the river.” (Edited for viewer satisfaction.) She said this referring to vulnerability with my team and the growth desired in my relationship with the Father. After knowing what it feels like to literally take the plunge, makes me ever more excited to dive in to all that the Lord has in store for me.
