The Current Experience
In June 2022, I went on a personal retreat for two days and did something I had been wanting to try for a while – I went kayaking on a river! My husband, Dave, and I had canoed up the river before, but I wanted to try a kayak and challenge myself to see if I could make it up the river by myself.
The river was long with lots of twists and turns – weave to the right, turn to the left, go straight ahead. The kayak would move side-to-side a little, but as long as I kept still from the waist down, it was steady. I held the paddle and dug into the water, moving forward stroke by stroke. As I rounded a turn, the water was calm; the surface like glass and the going was easy. There was no resistance. Paddling was simple and as I paddled faster and faster, my confidence grew. I imagined that I was in a race, cruising ahead of my fellow competitors. I flew across the surface; it was so easy! Isn’t it great when life is like that – you glide along with nothing in your way and no resistance? The going is so easy that all you have to do is enjoy the ride and the view. Wouldn’t it be great if life was always that way?
Further down the river, the current changed. I didn’t see much of a change on the surface, but I could feel drag on the bottom of the kayak. There was a change in the current underneath me. I couldn’t see it, but I could feel the resistance. I had to dig my paddle deeper into the water and pull harder to keep moving forward. I had to use more energy and I couldn’t tell by looking at the surface of the water how long the resistance would last. Have you ever felt like something is holding you back and you don’t know what it is? Is there something pulling at you – you can’t see it, but you know it is there because you can feel it? Have you found yourself digging your paddle deeper into the water to keep yourself moving forward?
Around another turn, the wind came up and blew across the surface of the river. I had to work harder to keep the kayak straight and had to dig my paddle even deeper into the water. This time I could see my troubles on the surface. I faced forward and drove that kayak through the wind and across, stroke by stroke, “Yes, I can do this,” “Yes, I can do this.” I pushed forward, the wind whipping my hair, but I pressed forward. Isn’t life like that a lot of the time? The winds blow and tries to knock you off course. You can see your troubles and have to dig in deeper to keep moving forward. You tell yourself, “Yes, I can do this.”
After an hour-and-a-half, I reached the head of the river where I paused for a few moments to rest. Then I turned around for the journey back.
I learned about the currents on the river – the currents of life. Sometimes you glide along with ease; all is well. Other times you encounter resistance that you can’t see, but can feel. Other times you can see (and feel) the trouble on the surface and have to dig deeper. Regardless, you keep sticking your paddle into the water; you keep moving forward, pause if you need to rest, and then continue on. It’s the “current experience.”
Which current are you “currently” experiencing?
Recommended Resources
- The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy is a fantastic book of encouragement. A must read!
- A book of quotes or a page-a-day calendar of quotes is a great thing to have on your desk; you never know which quote(s) will speak to you. Read a quote a day and save your favorite ones!
- Journalling is a great way to get your thoughts on paper. Purchase a journal (dollar stores are great for that) and write down what you are experiencing and feeling.
Monthly Challenge
- What is one thing you’ve been wanting to try?
- Find a way to make it happen.
- Write a story about your experience, what you learned, and share it with a friend.