Over the weekend, some of our friends here in Nephi invited us to float down the Provo River. It was an amazing experience. The scenery was beautiful and the river is unusually full and running very swiftly this year.
I took four of my children with me, Christina (19), Joseph (15), John (13) and Sarah (8). Christina floated on a tube with a couple of girls her age, while Joseph, John, and Sarah and I were in a raft with our friends. The biggest challenge was navigating the two railroad bridges that span the river. They both are made difficult by the rushing current and their location at bends on the river. We made it through the first one with no problems, but on the second, the ropes on our raft became tangled with a bolt on the bridge. The combination of the bolt and the current caused the raft to pitch over on its side and we were tossed from the safety of the raft into the icy cold water.
Fortunately, we all had our life jackets on, but there were some frightening moments. I immediately grabbed on to Sarah, and saw Joseph floating along side of us, but I could not see John. Within a moment, he floated into view and it was clear that he was Ok too. We floated to a shallow part of the river and made our way to the side. We waited there while some of the others in our rafting party untangled the raft from the bridge and floated down to pick us up.
Danger Zone
In the water, we immediately, we felt the full force of the river. We were at its mercy for a few moments. It was cold and swift. It was no use to struggle against it, we just had to float with it until we could get out of the strong currents that surrounded the bridge. Our brief moments in the water conjured up images of its destructive power. The destructive possibilities were even more vivid as we exited the river. We were probably never in any real danger, but Sarah was sure that we were going to die. When we got back into the boat, we had a new level of respect for the raging water. Our lifejackets were adjusted and secured. We were safe, but we knew we were lucky.
The River Of Life
Along life's journey, we are certain to face moments of adversity. There will undoubtedly be perilous times when fear, doubt and despair enters into our hearts and minds. Sometimes we struggle against whatever we are facing, which usually only leads to more discouraging moments. It is difficult to remember that we must let go of our struggle so that we can float safely to calmer waters. The counterintuitive nature of letting go makes it hard to do, but the more we struggle with our challenges, the more we usually suffer.
I have personally experienced this in my life. Through my own challenges, I have come to realize that my attitude determines the severity and duration of the challenge. It is difficult to smile and remain calm in the jaws of adversity, but doing so makes all the difference in the world. We cannot expect to live without adversity. Once we accept that it will always be a part of our lives, no matter how successful we become, then we can begin to see how to use it for our benefit.
I could not struggle against the river. The more I fought it, the more dangerous my situation became. All I could do was hold on to Sarah. We were in the flow, and when we relaxed, we were able to use the flow of the river to our advantage. Now, when we look back on those scary moments, we feel happy. The challenge was no less severe, we just faced it with a smile. And that made all the difference in our experience.
Finding The Rhythm
I noticed that the river had a rhythm. Life does too. What adversity are you facing right now? How is that challenging you? What can you let go of? How can you get into the flow again? The first thing I did when I found myself in the raging water was to look around to make sure everyone was safe. Once I could see that they were, I relaxed and began figuring out how to get in the flow. That is what I am inviting you to do today – relax, take inventory and find your way back into the flow. You will then be able to find your way out.
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