Last weekend at a women’s retreat, I had the opportunity to go on a canoe trip down the Alafia River in Lithia, Florida. The trip would last an hour and a half or so, “they” said.

I hadn’t been canoeing ever, to speak of, other than tranquil paddling around calm lakes.

This was no calm lake!

The only reason I agreed to go was because my friend, Emily, told me she would guarantee that I wouldn’t fall in. I can swim, so that would be no problem, but the water was cold! So I believed her and went.

For starters, the river was much lower than anticipated. I learned later why that would be an issue.

So while I pictured a tranquil ride down a beautiful river, enjoying the scenery while chatting with Emily, I got only the last two.

Having had lots of canoeing experience, Emily sat in the back so she could provide direction around any obstacles we encountered. And there were plenty.

We would ride along in calm water and suddenly encounter a log hidden under the water and get stuck. Or a massive rock that appeared just below the surface of the water that caused us to come to a sudden stop.

Along the way there were a few points where we (Emily) had to negotiate around large trees in the water with only a few feet available to pass through.

At the most harrowing spot, we had the opportunity to watch another canoe go through first. After seeing Cynthia “limbo” under a very low log, I knew my back couldn’t take that, so I climbed up on a tree and did a koala bear hug while Emily somehow got the canoe through the mire of limbs and brush.

We encountered a few brief rapids, not knowing if there would be rock or a log underneath that we couldn’t see. That was unnerving!

Only one time did I think — Emily is going to have to eat her words because we are about to turn over!

We didn’t.

This trip had spiritual meaning for me because I pictured us going through life on this river. We usually don’t know what’s ahead of us. We can be tripped up by challenges that happen unexpectedly, like health, family issues, finances, or work.

Trees may be in our path, either literally or figuratively, that prevent us from easily going through our path, like our car breaking down on the way to an important meeting or our child getting sick which changes our schedule.

But along the way we have God by our side. He is often quiet on our “ride,” but he often shows us he is there. By not preventing obstacles in our paths, he helps us work through them and learn to trust him.

He teaches, protects, comforts, all while right beside us.

I told Emily she was going to represent God in this post because she was in control! She knew how to negotiate the twists and turns and get us safely through the challenges in our path.

God does that for us. In this increasingly complex and chaotic world, YOU need to know that God is right beside you.

On the back of the shirt I wore were these words:

TRUST JESUS

I had grabbed a past VBS shirt to wear on this excursion without thinking of the words on it. Emily said it helped for her to have those words in front of her the whole trip!

You can, too.

Joshua 1:9 says, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Trust Him. He will help you through whatever you are facing.