Do Not Lose Heart

I was blessed to have a late lunch yesterday in Richmond with my handsome new lawyer son. And then, because he IS a new lawyer, he had to go back to work. So I put on my walking shoes and went wandering along the James River. I spent the night in Richmond, and then after breakfast with my dear son and wonderful daughter-in-law, I will travel on to NY to see my folks.

I was very excited to spend the afternoon wandering along the James river in Richmond. I happened to pass a man preparing to launch his kayak in the James. I almost brought my kayak on this trip, but decided it would be too cold in NY which is where I head tomorrow. So I stopped and asked the man some questions. I noticed right away that the man had a flatwater, not whitewater kayak. Yet I knew that many portions of the James within sight were rapids...dangerous rapids.
"I see you have a flatwater kayak," I said, "Can that go over those rapids?"
"I'm not going over the rapids," he said, "I am a chicken. I will just go across the river. See that island over there? There are many miles of shoreline you can explore and stay on flatwater."
"And you can easily fight the current and not get swept downstream?" I asked with mounting excitement.
"Yes, we do it all the time. I am strictly a flatwater kayaker. I put in and take out here."
And only a mile from my new lawyer son's apartment! And I even noticed a little flurry of rapids that I could actually go upstream alongshore to get around, and then shoot down those rapids for a thrill within my capability.

I have visited Richmond a few times now, and have eyed those rapids, seen the kayak launch area, and dreamt about having the courage to get in the river. Now I know I can do it! I watched the man kayak across the river, not coming close to being swept downstream over the dangerous rapids. As if seeing my beloved son were not wondrous enough, I chanced upon an answer to a long held dream.

But wonders were not over for the day. I sat in my hotel room on the 18th floor last night, overlooking the beautiful James river, and watched the sun set. As the darkness descended, the river was the last to blend into the night. It reflected the last embers of the sun's glow, and then shimmers of moonlight and streetlamps glinted off its flowing waters.

While driving through the empty hillbilly countryside of Virginia en route to Richmond, the only radio stations I could find were of preachers exuberantly proclaiming the Gospel. I listened for quite a while to one who kept saying, "It is so easy to lose heart, but that is one thing we must never do. Never lose heart." He spoke of Saint Paul's predicaments, being beaten, shipwrecked, imprisoned, and in chains for his faith. Yet in the end, Paul's message of faith and salvation in Jesus reached an entire world. It all felt like impossible rapids, but God knew the flatwater path safely to eternity, and He would guide him there. One thing we must never do is lose heart.

Next time I come to Richmond, I am bringing my kayak.

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Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:1, 6 ESV)

PS- Since I will be traveling many hours and then visiting my folks for the next week, there may be some days of no blogs. I apologize but remind you I have a backlog of 3 years of blogs in case you feel the desire to get a dose of my outlook on life.

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