what I learned under the water

Like a lot of other people, I like the outdoors. I find that my time in the wild recharges my batteries, re-connects me with God, and lets me test my limits. Courage, resourcefulness, problem solving, physical challenge--all these and more are put on the line when we get outside.

Today was a day for the challenge. Andy and I loaded our kayaking gear as the snow fell lightly. The air temp was about 34 degrees, and the water temp wasn't much higher. The Black Moshannon is only runnable when we've had a lot of rain or snow melt, and we try to take advantage of those days. We dressed as warmly as we could. My new gloves made it difficult to get a good feel of my paddle, and the loss of dexterity from the cold was immediately noticeable. We both rolled right off the bat to make sure that we still had our skills, and the shock of being totally immersed in the frigid water took my breath away and gave me a whole-body brain freeze!

Anyway, at about the halfway point, I got flipped, couldn't roll over, lost my paddle, and was in trouble. I was bumping the bottom with my chest as I got pushed along by the fast-moving water. I couldn't feel the grab loop on my skirt (remember the gloves and loss of dexterity?) to get free. I was able to push off the bottom to get some much-needed air, and I could see Andy as I approached him. He held out his paddle for me to grab, but I couldn't get a good grip (gloves, dexterity) and I slipped past him. I didn't feel panicked, though, and eventually was able to pull the skirt loose and wiggle out of the kayak. I tried to grab my boat, but (gloves/dexterity grrr) is slid away from me. I crawled out of the mash, thankful and a little shaky. I got swept about a hundred yards, and was really only without air for moments at a time. As I made my way to shore, I spotted my paddle wedged under a rock. Looking downriver, I spied my boat pinned to the roots of a downed tree just a few yards downstream! God was looking out for me today!

So what did I learn? Well, a couple of basics:

• I need a to use a pair of gloves that will help me, not hinder my paddling.
• Air is a oft-overlooked commodity, and I need to be grateful for breath.
• Even experienced kayakers (or whatever the game) can get into trouble quickly.

I also realized that when we find ourselves in a perilous situation in life, we have options. When we find ourselves over our heads, desperately needing air, and running out of options, we must act. We must do whatever it takes to get to a place where we can breathe.

If I had given up, I would have drowned. No question about it. But I was able to think clearly, come up with a solution, overcome obstacles and difficulties, and find a solution that resulted in freedom.

Are you in over your head? What are you going to do about it?