Get in the Boat

He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe. – Proverbs 28:26

Have you ever committed to do something you thought would be wonderful, but when the time came to pack up and go, you wondered what in the world you were thinking?  

Last summer, my family of five set off to Buena Vista, CO for a whitewater rafting trip. Due to Colorado’s heavy late spring snowfall, the Arkansas River was flowing fast, furious, and freezing cold.  The rafting trip my husband booked describes itself on the web as: 

“Continuous paddling through mostly uninterrupted whitewater, with highly technical maneuvering around many obstacles and through complex channels.  Excellent physical fitness is required.” 

It was a trip for the brave and fit.  Our guide was going to take one look at me and know I’m neither.  

I was making a mental list of excuses for staying out of the boat and just taking pictures from the shore when my youngest daughter, seeming to read my mind, reminded me how I’d faced my fear of heights in Costa Rica by plunging off the side of a mountain and zip-lining through the jungle. (I screamed all the way.)  She’s right.  It’s time again to step way out of my comfort zone and trust God to protect us as we twist and turn our way through outrageous whitewater rapids. 

What adventurous dreams fill your heart with fear when you picture yourself stepping out of your comfort zone to go after them?  If we’re going to fulfill God’s plans for our lives, we’ll have to wrestle with and conquer fear.  The enemy knows that fear has the power to stop us in our tracks.

God does not promise to take away our fears, but He does promise to remain beside us as we walk (or paddle) through them.  Tomorrow on the river, I will no doubt remind myself of that.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. – Psalm 46:1-3

Whatever fears you face this summer, remind yourselves of the truths in this Psalm.  Hold tight to God because He is your ever-present strength.  Trust Him, and step out of your comfort zone into any “boat” or plan He has for you.

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