The Best Medicine

I have learned so much this summer. Its been good; restful for my body, trying for my mind, rejuvinating for my soul.
Last week Adam and I went to Neosho to visit my family and friends. We only had a few days, Adam had to preach on Sunday morning and Wednesday night, but we needed to get away for a little while and this was just the ticket. On Tuesday morning we didn't have any preliminary plans, so we decided to go canoeing. We hadn't been in a long time and because of the rain, the water was said to be very high. It was. We went on a 3-mile canoe trip and it was wonderful! The water was higher than I have ever seen it and because of that, we barely had to paddle. So here we were floating down Elk river. No one was out there but us, some beautiful birds, a few turtles, and a bunch of fish. It was just what we needed- peace, quiet, each other's company...until the rain came. I don't mean rain drops...I mean it started pouring! And it was cold! Here we are sitting in the middle of the water, nowhere to go for shelter or relief. We looked at each other and we started laughing, and it started raining even harder, and we laughed harder. Whoever said laughter is the best medicine was right. We laughed all of the way back to the campsite (which took us a wile since we didn't want to paddle because we were cold and since our armpits were still dry we wanted to keep them that way). It was a blast! It was also a great reminder. Why get upset over things that are out of my control? Its easy to get frustrated or angry when things don't work out the way I plan, but if I do, I am really missing out on some other great adventure. Easier said than done, but I'll tell you what, canoeing in the freezing cold rain was the most fun I've had all summer.
-ABliss