Stuck in an Eddy

Hell's Canyon, Snake River, May 1982

Years ago, rafting in Hell’s Canyon on the Snake River at flood stage, we got caught in an enormous eddy.  The river made a turn to the left along the canyon wall.  There was a rapid up against the rock wall the length of the turn, but at the bottom of the turn, most of the water went back up river in the biggest eddy any of us had ever seen.  It was like a giant whirlpool. The eddy was so powerful it took us back to the beginning of the rapid at the top of the canyon curve.  We had to run the rapid again.  This time, at the bottom of the rapid, dad (on the oars) tried as hard as he could to row out of the eddy back into the current that would take us down river.  He couldn’t do it, and the eddy took us back to the beginning of the rapid again!  On the third run through the rapid, dad took one oar and John took the other oar, and together they were able to power us out of the eddy at the bottom.  Whew.  We were getting worried that we would never get out of there.

Hell's Canyon, Snake River, 1982

Sometimes I feel like I’m stuck in an eddy when I seem to continually face the same kind of problem. “What? I have to go through this again!?” One of my eddies has been trusting the Lord to be my Provider. How many times has He proved to me that He will provide? Over and over again. How long will I have to keep learning this lesson before I get it? Just when I think I’ll get to move on down the river, I’m swept back to the same rapid again. I do notice a difference this time though. I am not in the panicking state. Maybe I’m actually growing in this area? The Lord has been so faithful to us time and time again.  I have no reason to doubt when He has proven Himself so faithful to His promise to provide. Thank you, Lord. I choose to trust You.