White Water

     Now, a fever?  Really?  Two days away from heading to “Adventure Camp” with our church youth group and my son wasn’t feeling well.  He, like his mother, has issues with dehydration and we’ve found it’s amazing what your body can do, (or should I say can’t do), when you don’t give it proper fluids.  Light headed and pale, I wondered if he would even be able to go.  I was certain the heat and his lack of taking me seriously when I say “Take a water bottle with you”, was probably the cause.  Strange thing though, when we discussed the possibility of him not being able to go, he almost seemed to feel a bit better.  I wasn’t sure if I should send him.  To make a long story short, he was a bit anxious about the caving and more anxious about white water rafting.  After discussing his physical symptoms, some encouraging words from the best Youth Group Leaders ever; and Tom & I assuring him that he was probably in better hands with them (An ER Doctor and an RN), we decided he would go.  With bags packed, hugs given and a reminder that his Momma would be “Praying like crazy” (especially when they were going rafting), he was off on his West Virginia adventure.

     It was nice to get the updates from the leaders via text message.  The quick evening phone calls telling us what fun they had were good to hear, but the real benefit from the trip was revealed when he got home.   

     After hearing about the high ropes course, the cave having a passageway only big enough to do an Army Crawl though, and the stories of one of the rafts flipping over, I asked him what his “take away” was.  He told us he’d learned that everyone struggles with something and we have to be careful not to think that someone else’s struggle is silly or foolish just because it’s not a struggle for us.  We need to learn to help each other through and not think we are better than them.  We’re not better, we just aren’t dealing with that issue – we have our own.   - All I could do was agree.

     He then said, “Mom, while we were rafting, three dragonflies came and landed on me – right ON me!”  (** side note:  I love dragonflies.  In fact, my logo is a dragonfly and someday I may just have to explain why in a post.)   I smiled and then he said, “I knew you must have been praying really hard right at that moment and God gave me a reminder with the dragonflies.  I just knew it had to be you praying and said “Yup, my Mom’s praying right now!”  He continued to tell me how he felt better and ended up being the only one in his boat who didn’t fall out at one time or another.  It took everything in me not to tear up.   

     Once again, we both learned some life lessons because of a trip he went on.  I learned its ok to encourage my children to do things they are fearful of in hopes that they recognize not to allow fear to paralyze them, keeping them from living life to its fullest; I learned my children are much more observant than I ever thought as I’ve never really talked to him about what a dragonfly represents for me; and I was reminded that God has an amazing way of giving us what we need, when we need it, to help us through. 

     God meets us right where we are – whether it’s in a dark cave, the white water rapids of West Virginia, a difficult job situation or a struggling relationship – He’s there, just waiting for us to see Him and rely on His strength to get us through.