I had what I thought was a GREAT idea! I thought the boys would love to go kayaking out on the lake. I ordered a couple kayaks online and bought some extra oars so that the boys could help paddle. It was great in theory, but a kayak for one, and two sets of oars, turned into more of a battle you might see on TV as two Ninja Warriors battled for ‘King of the Kayak.” Before our next adventure, I ran down to Walmart and brought two tiny (cheap) ‘Kayak wannabes’.
The next day the boys thought it would be a GREAT idea to have a picnic on the lake. I packed a couple lunches, put everything in a big baggie, then we began the chore of getting 3 boats to the dock, life vests, too many oars, and put all the things into the water. I needed to lock up the house, but on my way back down to the dock, I noticed that one of the small boats was floating down the lake! I asked the oldest grandson what was going on, and he was frustrated that his lunch had floated away on one of the boats.
I grabbed an oar, and jumped into my kayak, and furiously paddled to the other boat that was quickly drifting in the wind. Once I caught up with the boat carrying the boy’s lunch, I tried to figure out how I was going to get back to the boys. If I pulled the empty boat up beside me so I could hold onto it, I could only paddle on one side and I would just go in circles. The boat was not too big, but sitting in a kayak, I could not lift the little boat off the water and onto my kayak. As I sat there and tried to figure things out, the 2 boats and I continued to drift further away from the dock where the boys were standing staring in horror. I hadn’t thought things through. Where was my rope? Where was an extra person to paddle the small boat back? There were so many other great options, that I didn’t take time to think about. I decided to set the boats side by side, swinging my leg onto the small boat, and began paddling this makeshift barge against the wind.
Once I got to the dock, I had another issue. How do I get the boys onto their boats, without making them jump in the fridid water? I decided to just stand up, with one foot in each boat. This plan sounded great in my head, but once I went to execute it, you know what happened! Yes, one boat began to move to the right and in slow motion, the other to the left. I grabbed the dock but it was no use! I am not limber, so coming back from doing the splits… on water… with my shoes, aka the boats, was not an option. I awkwardly fell in the water, cellphone and all. The good thing was that my cellphone was tucked safely away in a waterproof case, and from my position in the water, I could hold the boats where they needed to be while treading water. We all got settled in our kayaks and headed out for a fun picnic on the lake. As we paddled our way up the lake, we recounted the activity that had just ensued, made fun of each other and all the silliness that had just taken place.
Looking back, I can think of so any things that I could have done different, if I had just taken a minute to assess the situation and left the dock prepared! We all know the old saying, ‘look before you leap.’ When we don’t take the time to look or think before we do something, we will find ourselves ‘in over our heads’ in a bad situation, whether you find yourself treading water between two boats, or in a situation that you are not sure how to get out. Before we jump in (or fall in) with both feet, pause…. Think things through. Ask for help. Solomon, known for his wisdom and discernment, wrote in Proverbs 13:16a “Wise man think before they act; foolish men don’t…” We need to also remember, God is always there to show us a way out of any situation, we just need to ask Him for help. 1
John 5:15 ”And since we know He hears us when we make our requests, we also know that He will give us what we ask for.”