On Friday night, Maya and I had the bright idea to go to “Spooky Canoe.”
It was our first free afternoon after classes since August, so why not go canoeing for hours in the freezing cold? We decided since we are seniors now, we should do more around campus and get to know more people.
When we first arrived, we were absolutely terrified. How are the both of us supposed to control this big canoe? I have only been kayaking once, and Maya is terrified of the water. I kept thinking, “We are going to drown.” I knew that one of us was going to end up in the water at some point in the night, and I had a feeling it would be Maya.
Others on the trip who held more experience told us the rule of the canoe was “the front is the engine because they have a lot of power and the back steers.”
I definitely thought, “I am not powerful.”
So, I sat in the back and Maya up in the front. We were fearful as we got into the canoe and the water. How were we supposed to stay afloat with the sun starting to set? When we passed under Highbridge, that’s when it was pitch black. Neither of us had flashlights.
We couldn’t see as we dredged through the Kentucky River for what felt like five miles. It felt like it was never going to end. I was hungry, exhausted and cold, and Maya kept talking my ear off because she was nervous. It was dark, and we had no idea where we were going. We kept having to avoid obstacles, such as branches or even whole trees, in the water. I complained way much more than I should have.
I kept wanting this to hurry and end because I kept thinking of what I had to do when we got back to campus. I had to edit a hype video, charge batteries, do five literature assignments and plan for the wedding Maya and I were photographing the next day. I had been out there for two hours, and in that time, I could’ve completed a lot on my to-do list.
After stopping to make a fire, it was time to head back down the river the way we just came. I was dreading it and told Maya that I was staying. I told her that they would have to send a helicopter to come and pick me up. I was not getting back into that canoe. Maya had to spend a long time convincing me to eventually get back in. They told us on the way back, we had to be completely silent to reflect.
As we continued pushing through the nighttime darkness, we finally hit a moment where we could coast on the water with the current. I looked up at the sky, hoping to see Highbridge. It would signal that we were close to being done.
Instead of the massive bridge, my eyes saw stars, but it wasn’t just two or three stars. It looked like millions of stars. I couldn’t count how many of them there were. It looked like glitter that shimmered in the sky and shined down on us at that moment in time. I was in awe of how beautiful it was.
I sat there and wondered about the last time I had actually sat and looked at the stars. It had been a while. I didn’t remember the last time I stopped and looked up at the sky when it wasn’t a sunset. At that moment, there was nothing in my mind other than how jaw-dropping the sky was. I wasn’t thinking of my to-do list and how hungry I was.
I sat there thinking, how can a God make something so stunning and still think we are equal to that? How amazing is it that we get to live this life and witness His creations as beautiful as stars?
Maya and I made it back in one piece and dry. We did not tip over and drown.
Isaiah 43:2 says, “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.” God was with us that entire night.
It was the first time in a long time I took a second to breathe. I didn’t feel stressed or overwhelmed. Instead, I felt at peace for the first time this semester. Lately, I’ve felt like I’m drowning in work or life, but I have to remember He is with me. I am unsure where I am heading in a life full of obstacles, but I do know I will get there at some point. I don’t have to hurry and rush it. I can sit back and enjoy it at this moment in time.
So, next time you find yourself in a canoe trying to navigate your life in the nighttime darkness, just make sure you sit back, look at the stars, and take a deep breath.
