For someone who does not swim very well, some of my most meaningful life lessons have come while out on the water.
Our family went on vacation to Florida a few years ago. I had mentioned to my husband, Dave, how I would like to try SUP – that is, stand up paddleboarding. I don’t know exactly what appealed to me about SUP, other than it is an “above the water” activity and I guess I did not think about falling? So, my husband suggested we rent a paddleboard and give it a go. After all, no time like the present and the Gulf of Mexico was really calm that week. So he made a reservation to have a paddleboard dropped off and I searched on YouTube for a video to show me how to SUP.
The next day, we hauled our 16-foot paddleboard to the beach and my husband encouraged me to give it a try. I was nervous, but I put it in the water and push off from the shore before climbing on top.
Picture this: here I am with a gigantic board and one oar. My husband and our four children are standing on the shore watching me. I am on my knees at this point, too scared to stand up. I just wanted to get my bearings. Feeling pretty good, I focused on just staying afloat. I did not really notice much around me, but did hear Dave call my name a few times. I finally turned to look at him and realized I was WAY OFF SHORE. The tide was taking me out and I was much further out than I intended to be. I started to panic as I tried to turn back towards the shore.
So what’s my point?
We naturally tend to drift AWAY from our goals unless we live intentionally.
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We can see this in our health habits; often in any area where we want to improve or make changes; even in our relationship with God and with others. I was focused that day, but not on where I was going.
Change is HARD. Developing habits to help us achieve are goals is tough…and often we may feel like giving up. It’s important to remember that the ‘tide’ will keep us moving, but not necessarily in the direction we want to go, and more realistically, further away from our goal.
I want the stories I share to encourage you in your own journey towards looking and feeling your best, to becoming the woman God designed you to be, inside and out. I am still very much a work in progress, but I truly believe God can shine through our struggles. In 2 Corinthians, one of my favorite verses:
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV)
Back to that first day of stand-up paddleboarding. I said a few prayers on the board that day. I was able to get myself turned back towards the shore (with some coaching from my husband). I eventually was brave enough to get off my knees and stand. I did fall in the water a few times, but I climbed right back up on that board and tried again. That is the same thing we must remember with our goals and challenges we face — We will struggle. We will fall down. We must keep pressing on and living intentionally. And we must look up to make certain we’re going in the direction we want to go!
CINDY DIEHL 