Everyday Adventures Riding the Waves My only job on the lake that day was to hold on tight. I was riding something called a water rocket, which is basically a giant inflatable banana pulled by a ski boat. All I had to do was hang on to the strap in front of me and keep my balance. Sounds easy enough, right? It would have been, except for the fact that the guy driving the boat had one job: Dump me in the lake. That meant he was going to drag me in circles, whip me from side-to-side and do everything he could to beat the tar out of me to force me to let go. There were six of us on the water rocket that afternoon — three dads, two teenage boys and my 10-year-old daughter. From the second we took off, the boys started taunting the driver, yelling at him and giving him a thumbs-up to go faster, go faster. I was pretty sure they were going to get us killed. My daughter took the worst of it. Riding on the front, she had a steady spray of lake water pummeling her face. After drinking several gallons, she’d had enough. She signaled the driver to cut the engines, then swam across to the boat. I realized, as she climbed on board, the rest of us were now toast. The driver had been taking it easy on us because of her, but now that it was just the guys, we were in serious trouble. As soon as my daughter settled in, the driver punched it. He veered right and left, bouncing us over the waves. It was like riding a mechanical bull in a hurricane. Each bump felt like it was going to throw me. I did my best to lean into the curves and white-knuckled it with every ounce of strength I had. The banana boat was so slippery, though, I knew I wouldn’t last long. A few minutes later, one of the teenagers shot into the air in front of me, and I was thankful for the break. My forearms were killing me. We picked him up, took a few more curves and then lost the two other dads off the back. Now there were only two of us who hadn’t fallen off. We didn’t have much time left on the rocket, so the driver went 46 • <strong>Sept</strong>/<strong>Oct</strong> <strong>2019</strong> • Southern Indiana Living for broke. He threw us into a tight turn, then suddenly yanked us back the other direction. At that moment, the wind caught the side of the water rocket and flipped the whole thing in the air, spilling us into the lake. Despite the fact I’d outlasted almost everyone else on the boat, at the end of the day we all ended up soaked. All it took was one good turn to break my grip. My adventure on the lake seemed all too familiar. Sometimes life has a way of whipping us around faster than a water rocket. We feel like we’re being dragged through circumstances we never would have chosen. We get sprayed in the face with money problems, yanked across the rough waters of diffcult relationships and bumped, battered and bruised by all manner of hard situations that seem designed to toss us into the deep. It’s all we can do just to hang on and keep going. Worse yet, at times it feels like someone is actively trying to throw us. We hear that little voice in our heads telling us life will never get better, to give up on our marriage, to give up on our faith, to give up on ourselves. What’s the point, we think? Why do we even bother trying? On days like that we all need to remember that life isn’t just about holding on tight. It’s about the fact that God is holding onto us. In Isaiah 41:13 God says, “For I hold you by your right hand … And I say to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you’” (NLT). My problem on the lake that day was that I was clinging to a flimsy craft attached to a boat piloted by a guy who was working against me. No matter how much I tried to hold on, he was in the driver’s seat, which meant that eventually he was going to win. In my everyday life, though, I have an option. I can choose to hold on to someone who is for me, not against me. I can anchor myself to someone who is more solid and stable than the fickle circumstances of this crazy world. In the Bible, the people who knew God best compared him to things like a rock, a fortress and a firm foundation. He is unshakable, unstoppable and relentlessly loving toward his people. I do have an adversary who is trying to throw me overboard, but the good news is he’s not driving the boat. When I’m tired, discouraged and feel like giving up, I have to remind myself that God is still good and he is still in control. And when I’m too weak to hold onto him, I discover that he is holding onto me. Sure, I’ll still get tossed around on the waves, but his strength is more than enough to keep my head above water and bring me safely to shore. • Jason Byerly is a writer, pastor, husband and dad who loves the quirky surprises God sends his way every day. You can read more from Jason in his books Tales from the Leaf Pile and Holiday Road. You can catch up with Jason on his blog at www.jasonbyerly.com.
2020 Jeep Gladiator 800-473-5546 • johnjonesautogroup.com Southern Indiana Living • <strong>Sept</strong>/<strong>Oct</strong> <strong>2019</strong> • 47
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