Whitewater Rafting

Whitewater rafting; do I really need to say more? Ok, maybe I do. I have been rafting many, many times, I have even been on 4s and 5s; none of the times compare to this one! This year was one of the most dangerous ever (I enjoyed that), due to waters being at an all time high. The levels are normally something like 150, whatever they measure it at, and this year it was up to 400 and something, when we went it was at 380. This makes the waters very fast; what is normally a 3-hour trip ended up being an hour and ½. This also ups the danger of it and chances of tipping, being thrown out (just ask some of the other protégés) and even drowning. I had been down that route before, but this year it was much different. What is normally 3s now became 3s and 4s; a rapid that is usually simple became almost non-existent and a rapid that is a little more difficult became much more difficult and very flippen scary (I haven’t been afraid on a rapid in decades).
You may ask “why whitewater rafting”? We’re training to be missionaries right? So what does rafting have to do with anything? I thought it was to give us a break from work and emotional drama being brought up (not all of my teammates would agree with the idea of this being a break). Not with Steve as our facilitator! It was soon apparent that everything has much deeper meaning and had a lesson involved. And you all thought you were supporting me to sit back, relax, eat gourmet food, camp all summer and have adventure! Wrong! We actually had to work and boy did we; shoot, it’s the 11th of September and we are still working. I am glad though, cause I am not the same now as I was a few months ago. Can we all say AMEN?!
Ok, back to whitewater rafting… Once encouraged to, I actually learned a lot from this experience. The first thing I learned was of my fellow protégés courage and willingness to try something that they never, ever wanted to try. Rebecca’s courage was especially admirable, for she was the most afraid. It was great to see this and to have a whole new respect for my fellow teammate. Being the first day of ‘teamwork’, this was especially useful. My Green Team didn’t only show courage, but the ability to support, encourage and uplift each other.
That brings me to the other big thing that I learned – teamwork. Each of our rafts was a team; we had to work together, listen to each other, follow guidance, put aside what we believed to be better, trust the leader and his knowledge as well as the fact that the other teammates would also do their part. It wasn’t just a matter of choosing to work together, we had to; our lives depended on it. The most interesting thing to me was that I didn’t even realize that I was working as a team. It may seem obvious, but I was much too excited and focused on the task to notice.
Why is it that it is much easier to submit and work together when it is fun and exciting than any other time, especially for me? Does that mean that life should just be this way (if only) and then it would be that much easier? Sure that sounds great, but the excitement would eventually wear off and I would probably be exhausted. Then I would be where I am now. I guess it would just be better to learn how to let go and trust God; even in the circumstances where I don’t necessarily agree with the way things are going. Whonuu whitewater rafting could be so educational?