Up a Creek

I sat in the middle of an overloaded canoe, warily watching for roiling water on the river’s surface. I didn’t want to get stuck on rocks yet again.

As we neared a line of white water crossing the river, my son, Michael, and his friend Nathan paddled faster, hoping that this time our momentum would carry us over the rocks. But from below came the whine of the canoe’s aluminum body as the rocks tortured it.

Once again I stepped into the cold water, towed the canoe past the rocks, and precariously climbed back in, pulling even more water and mud into the canoe.

That night at camp, I asked our Boy Scout guide for advice. He suggested we watch the lead canoe. The experienced paddlers had been this way before. We could follow the channels they knew to choose.

Our relationship with Christ is the same way. “For this God is our God for ever and ever,” says Psalm 48:14. “He will be our guide even to the end” (New International Version).

The second day on the river was better. Following the lead canoe, we found paths around the rocks. I spent little time wading.

When I got back home, I was asked to take a different plunge and lead a Bible study of middle-school boys. I hoped to show them around some obstacles that had caught me in the past, and to ultimately point them toward Christ’s example. He will always lead us safely through life’s snags.