Against The Wind

...Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

– Matthew 14:29-31

Although we don't have our church book study until tomorrow night, I read our chapter tonight and it was quite fitting for our evening's activities.

In the "Seeing the Wind" chapter of If You Want to Walk on Water You've Got to Get Out of the Boat, we are reminded of how storms disrupt our lives. We may be on a new adventure like a new job or new project and we are "out of the boat," walking on water, or at least on Cloud 9. Then reality sets in and we see the wind. We face obstacles. 

How do we endure in the face of a storm?

The author makes the following observations about "resilient" people: They exercise control rather than passively resign. They remain committed to their values when tempted to compromise. And they find meaning and purpose in the storm.

Tonight, we faced a physical obstacle or sorts.

We went kayaking on Nepco Lake again with our neighbors. It was hot and breezy today but because the wind was so welcoming, I underestimated its strength. It was the first thing I noticed, though, after we sneaked under Highway 13 to the west side of the lake.
  
Holy whitecaps! Seriously. Talk about a major workout. It was tough. I could feel my shoulder muscles burning (obviously haven't been to my strength class lately) but could also feel water splashing against the kayak and inside it a bit. It was the first time I wondered how much rocking and rolling the kayak could handle and still stay upright. Especially with a rookie operator. 

It seemed like we were in a turtle race – all that effort with slow movements forward – but eventually our resilience paid off.

Yup. Another absolutely gorgeous outing on the water.

Eventually, the wind died down and we could float a bit and enjoy the moment. Did I have faith a smooth ride was in store? Well, I wasn't sure it would calm down, but I felt safe. Challenged and quite alert, but safe.

In fact, the wind was our friend on the route back, giving us a gentle push so we hardly had to exert ourselves.

Is there always a reward after a storm? I think so. At least there is some peace, some calm. Storms have a way of teaching what nothing else can.

Just like paddling fiercely against the whitecaps, my storms and challenges of life have better equipped me for the next big wind. Just need to get my shoulder muscles in shape.

Perhaps I should just let God carry my burdens for me, yes?