Crests and Troughs

It was a spectacular day yesterday -- sunny and 80 degrees. My heart was in turmoil over some issues and I needed to have some time alone with God. After doing the work I had to do, I dashed off for a quick kayak on the peaceful tiny lake near us. However, the tiny lake access road was closed! What happened? It was opened last year and was the nearest kayak spot for me. I considered my possibilities now. Lake Wylie was the next closest lake, and so I continued on.

I paused as I surveyed Lake Wylie. It was very windy, and Lake Wylie is large. I had needed the calm peace of the little lake, but God had given me a wild wind-tossed big lake. It was a little intimidating as I pulled up to the public launch. The waves were like ocean waves with whitecaps. I put on my life jacket and headed out to sea...er...the lake, with what is not usual for me in my kayak, some trepidation.

It was unexpectedly exhilarating. I haven't had that much fun in a long time. It turned out to be just what I needed. The kayak would rise over the crest and then dip into the trough. It was very exciting. I headed out into the wind so I knew I would have the energy to return. Staying close to shore, just in case I capsized, I passed a mama goose building a nest on shore. She hissed at me from the shore, and then continued building her nest. I respected her strong instinct to protect her future babies and steered away. All my troubles melted from my mind in the delight and exertion. While I had to pay attention, I was not in danger though I was tossed about quite a bit. When I turned around, I barely needed to paddle. The wind blasted me back to the boat launch.

This is a perfect picture of life.  We may think what we need are calm, still, easily traversed waters, when instead, God brings us a choppy, roiling, difficult to navigate sea. There are crests and troughs and we are required to ride them both equally well. We will fall down, but we need to get back up. In the back of our mind we fear being swamped by the treacherous waves of adversity. Quite often, weariness accompanies us as the battle goes on and on and on.

Both the troughs and the crests in life are necessary on the path to our destination. We may as well find the joy or at least the purpose in the highs and the lows, and not rail against the struggle. God brings exactly what we need at exactly the right time. And sometimes, when we turn Homeward, the wind may be at our back.

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Proverbs 24:16
For a righteous man falleth seven times, and riseth up again; But the wicked are overthrown by calamity.

2Timothy 2:12 If we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us;

Romans 5: 1-5

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.