Paddling the River and Praising God by Karen Hauser

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

“We need to get away and just breathe!”  Has this ever been the conversation in your house?  Or, maybe you told yourself; “I need to get away and breathe!”   It was definitely the conversation my husband and I had in early August this year.  We were able to plan a quick trip up to North East Oklahoma for a week of Kayaking.  The Illinois River is beautiful and we felt so blessed to be able to hit the road and enjoy each other and Gods beauty.

My husband and I prayed before we left asking God to be with us and most of all, let us feel and see His beauty each day.  The drive up was perfect.  When we got to our camp however, we knew right away that it was not the camp for us and we needed to find another one.  It was late Monday and word on the street was we would not be able to find anything.  My husband made one last call and the lady that answered the phone confirmed they were all booked as well.  I prayed silently, “God, please find the place for us.”  Within seconds, the lady called my husband back and said she made a mistake.  They did have one cabin left and it was ours if we wanted it.  We went to the office immediately and made the arrangements.  As we turned into the grounds, we saw four cute cabins in a row on a huge plot of land.  But, the most beautiful thing was a big white cross on the hill to the left of the cabins.  Wow!  Is that confirmation or what?!

Needless to say, the trip was great.  We got to have some good time on the water in a place that is beautiful.  While we were floating the third and last day, I asked God to please let it mist or drizzle just a little for my husband.  He made a comment earlier that kayaking on the river while it drizzles would be cool.  You guessed it!  It began with a drop here, a drop there and my husband looked at me and smiled.  Thank you God for the little drops of love.

Nature was all around us and we appreciated it so much.  We rounded a corner and in the top of a barren tree sat a Bald Eagle! I truly couldn’t believe my eyes!  That Eagle was majestic.  He sat so strong in the tree and just as we got next to him, he swooped down and flew away behind us.  He came so close we heard the slow and powerful swoosh of his wings!!

We floated in silence for awhile taking in everything God had done for us and given us. 

We are not special.  What he does for us, he will do for you.  Just ask and believe!  He is a faithful God.  A good and loving Father who delights in our joy! 

We left there with renewed strength and a refreshed spirit.  We arrived home and quickly realized life goes on.  Our son needed to leave for college, his car was beyond repair and the laundry list of things to do was still here.   However, with a renewed spirit, we plan to always stay focused on God and His undeniable glory as we do the things we need to do.  Life with God is good!!