What Kayaking The Narrows of the Harpeth River Taught Me

I spent this past Saturday kayaking the murky, green, waters of the Harpeth river with my husband. Rowing along, the trees climbed bluffs that hung above us in a quiet chorus overlooking our passage. Ducks, snakes, fish, birds, dragonflies, and complete strangers paraded along side our sun drenched journey.  It was a beautiful day and a much needed experience. 

While I process our passage through The Narrows of the Harpeth, I can’t help but recognize, nature has so much to teach me about life if I’m open to hearing what it has to say. This journey in particular, allowed me see just how much life is like a river. At times, the current was easy and we just rolled along. Other times the waters were fast and their tumbling, stumbling, rolling tides made us work a little harder to keep our boat upright. And then, there were those moments where the water’s depth lay too shallow. In these cases, we were forced out of our kayaks so we could physically pull our boats back into deeper waters.

All of this is my life right now. 

At points, the flow of life is gentle and I’m able to relax and simply allow the tide to move me down stream. But along the way, giant obstacles make the waters I’m in unstable. The flow around me picks up and I find myself using every bit of strength I have to keep it together. And then there are those points where I’m just flat hung up on the shallow waters. I find myself having to force myself out of what’s comfortable in order to continue my journey forward. 

But maybe that is what makes life beautiful and even adventurous. After all, life would be pretty boring if it were just an easy float down stream all the time. There would be nothing to heighten our senses if we didn’t have to work harder through the careening, obstacle-covered tides. And we’d never know the thrill of what could be if we just stayed—hung up on the rocks—of the shallow waters. 

I don’t know about you, but I know in my life right now, I’m fighting to see the finish line. It is not easy. And at times, it is downright treacherous. As I work to share more of my story, and see what could be, I am outside of my boat, pulling it. But the river taught me that’s okay, and sometimes, even needed. I’m grateful today for my journey, because I can see a little clearer there is purpose in it all.

If you’re in a hard place right now, I pray this will encourage you. No, life isn’t easy. But I do believe if we’ll keep paddling, keep fighting, and sometimes get out of our boats and pull them, that we will see the finish line God has in store for us.

Til next time,