Spring Break was this week and I took my 12 year old son camping in the Texas hill country. We spent two days at a state park located right on the banks of the Colorado River. Reflecting on the trip, I realized that I learned several lessons from God's creation as I spent time fishing, hiking, and simply enjoying nature. This post may be, as my son would say, somewhat random but I hope you bear with me and can learn as I did.
1) Buzzards - Have you ever watched a buzzard? On the ground, they are one of the ugliest birds around. They have pitch black bodies with long, pointed beaks and knotted red heads. Besides that, they feast on dead animals and often vomit up the remains. They will flock around a carcass, tearing off chunks of flesh until only the white of the bone is visible. Yet, when buzzards take to the air, they are one of the most beautiful birds in the sky. In what appears effortless, they catch wind streams and soar to great heights, circling the ground in a majestic loop. From below, their great wing span is awe inspiring. As I watched buzzards this week, I was reminded that situations in life can be the same way, depending on how we view them. What may appear to be difficult, ugly, and hard to handle in one moment can later become a thing of beauty. Times of struggle can really be the precursors to success. The key is how we view these difficult times and if we are willing to work through them until we too can once again soar to great heights.
2) Tents and wind storms- Being in a tent during a wind storm can be a scary place. During our trip, winds gusted up to 50 miles an hour one night. It felt like we were two Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf was huffing and puffing to blow our house down. The sides of the tent were expanding and contracting, stakes were coming loose, and the bottom lifted several times. Other than securing the tent stakes, there was not much more we could do except ride out the storm. When we got up in the morning after an almost sleepless night, we were safe and sound and the tent was still over our heads. Two sides had come loose, but there was no damage. Sometimes in life, we find ourselves in similar situations. The events affecting us are totally out of our control. All we can is secure the tent pegs and ride it out. These times can be scary, but they also help us realize that we don't have to be in control of everything. Sometimes, we must simply let go and let God handle the situation.
3) Busted Fishing Trips- One of the main reasons we travel to the Texas Hill Country is to catch the white bass run in the Colorado River. In March and April, these fish move up the river from Lake Buchanan to spawn. When this happens, it is possible to catch a limit of 25 fish in less than an hour. Unfortunately, there was no run this year. A sand bar had formed at the mouth of the river and most of the fish never left the lake. We fished for four to five hours each day and only caught one white bass. Basically, the fishing part of the trip was a bust. At this point, there were several options available to us. We could fish all day and hope things would change. Or, we could do something else. We chose option two. For the majority of each day, we hiked the scenic trails in the park. We swam in the river. We drove 50 miles into town and ate overpriced bar-be-que. We simply enjoyed each other's company. This turned out to be one of the better trips we had taken. In some cases, we set out with grand plans only to have those plans change due to circumstances beyond our control. At that point, we can either try to push our plans through or we can adjust to the changes. The choice we make in this situation may be the difference between a great experience and a simply mediocre one.
4) Kayaking - A few months back, my son bought a small kayak. We took it with us and he spent several hours in it each day. Where we were on the river, there are a few sets of rapids along with a number of bends that would cause him to move out of my view. I made a decision that, once he showed me he could maneuver the boat, I would allow him to travel where he wanted. I didn't tell him this directly, but simply let him go. My only rules were that he wear his life vest at all times and check in periodically. The first time I watched him go around a bend, my urge was to call him back. But I decided to let him go and then spent what seemed like hours wondering if I'd made the right decision,. My mind pondered all of the troubles he could get into, especially since I had no clue what was around the corner. In about thirty minutes he was back, excitedly telling me what he had observed. He rounded this same bend multiple times and each time became a little easier for me and more fun for him. The lesson for me in all of this is that we must let people go, within reason, and learn on their own. I had done what I could by ensuring he could stay afloat and providing him a life jacket. At that point, I could either keep him near me or allow him to go and explore. I'm glad I chose the latter. When working with people, we have to provide them with the tools they need for success and teach them how to use them. But then, we need to let them go and explore. If we don't, they will remain dependent on us and never reach their full potential.
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