No Dead Body....A Good Day

The good news is there were no dead bodies. However, I didn't know that when I spotted a kayak wrapped around a rock in the middle of the class 2 rapids. But that came later in my magical day on the river. I had decided since the river was low and I would scrape a lot of rocks runnng the rapids that instead, I would kayak upstream against the current. I knew I would only be able to make it as far as the class 2 rapids since I cannot go upstream against them.

I was having a great time. The river was empty. That is when you see all the critters, so I love going midweek when no one else is about. I saw kingfishers, herons, and osprey. And then I saw two river otters sunning on a rock! I have never seen otters in the Catawba. They were adorable and I was overjoyed. I saw an eagle too but he was way high above me playing on the updrafts.

I had fun in the rapids that I was able to paddle past. I'd paddle upstream beyond them, then I would swing around and ride the current. It was SOOO much fun.

Then I saw the boat, a blue kayak in the middle of the rapids. I tried to go upstream so I could then kayak back down and get a closer look, but I was not able to paddle against the strong current. So I got as close as I could, but with great trepidation.

"Oh please Lord, don't let there be a dead body there."

I did not see a dead body floating anywhere nearby. The kayak cockpit faced me and appeared to be empty. No one was standing on the rocks calling for help. I kayaked back to my launch site where a park worker flagged me down.

"Did you see a kayak on the rocks?" he asked.
"Yes," I said, "Did you find the kayaker?"
"No. Did you see anyone?"
"No...I looked and I didn't see anyone in the kayak or nearby."
"A rescue team is coming," the park worker said, "Would you wait here to talk with them?"

So I waited and shortly the rescue team showed up. They asked me some questions, and then headed down the bike path beside the river with their emergency equipment. I decided to kayak back to the rapids just in case I could be of use. They managed to wade across the rocks, using an oar to steady themselves and pulled the kayak out of the river. It was pretty mangled. Praise God, the kayak was empty. No kayaker was stuck on the rocks beneath the raging water.

I returned to shore, pulled my bike out of the car and rode up the path. They were securing the kayak to their cart.
"Do you think someone drowned?" I asked.
"No," they told me. "There was moss on the kayak. It has been in the water a while. It was probably drifting in the river sometime and the high waters from the hurricane carried it down here."
"If I had been stuck on the rocks, could I have made it to shore?" I asked.
"Call us and we will rescue you," they said. Gallant men! "But if the dam is letting out water, you would have a hard time walking against the strong flow."
"I never take that route over the rapids," I said. "I always steer far left where it is slower."
"That's what you should do," they agreed.

As I biked onward, I thanked God that when they lifted the kayak from its rocky tomb, there were no dead bodies. I have been reading the book of Mark, and paying close attention to the chapter about the empty tomb. Can you imagine the relief of Jesus' friends when they saw the tomb was empty? No dead body. And then to hear the words, "He is risen."

In a small way, I felt the relief of that moment.
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Mark 8:31 

And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.