Boat Trip....

The second leg of the trip began on the boat ride to the town of San Pedro. These boat rides can be pleasant if the wind has not picked up. I had been told that in the past a few weeks ago a boat, that hold about 12 people snuggly, had be turned over and 2 people we killed. So needless to say I was already a little nervous about riding in these little boats. (We later found out that the captain should not have been driving the boat at all because he was drunk and that anyone would have been able to notice if they just looked- we looked) The lake sits in a bowl with mountains and volcanoes surrounding it on all sides and with the wind blowing up and down these mountains the lake is tossed and turned and the swells can be very harsh on boats of our size. As we embarked on this journey (in which, at the time, I was feeling more comfortable in the water or swimming by the boat than on the boat) we were not going against the swells but alongside them therefore, the rocking back and forth was unnerving and terrifying for me. BJ calmly held my hand the hold time whispering words of encouragement, telling me the story of Jesus calming the sea, and telling me it would soon be over. (He later told me that our boat rides has him a little unnerved but that wasn’t the time or place to tell me.) I prayed fervently the whole time. I was not about to lose it at that point in time but was getting very very close to doing so. My stomach clenched and churned. I just prayed I didn’t throw up or throw myself out of the boat. The captain of the boat was very well versed with the attitude of the lake and got us to our destination safely despite all. Several people got out and told the captain what a great job he did. I wanted to hug him and give him a million dollars if I could. The rest of the time on land was pleasant but very breezy. I was just so happy to be on land I didn’t mind a little wind. However, the wind was still my enemy…and I was about to find out…

Our last trip back to our original destination was the worst of the three. The lake surprisingly had been larger than it looked. Therefore, BJ and I both knew getting into the boat that our first boat ride, being smooth then, was going to be much longer than 45 minutes it took us at the beginning of the trip and nowhere near as pleasant. We had 15 people total on the boat and still the swells and whitecaps rocked the boat like there was no tomorrow. At first, several of the local passengers laughed at the bumps of the lake and giggle as the water would spray in the boat. As we ventured out farther a water tarp was handed up to the front of the boat and the three passengers at the front held it up in front of them in hopes of shielding themselves (and us) from the amount of water coming in. I was beside myself. My hands were either clawing onto the seat I was sitting on (because the seats had no backs to them) or BJ’s hand, leg, leg hairs, or arm hairs or all the above. We would go up over the swells and slam hand down onto the lake. At times I would laugh so I wouldn’t cry. We were seated 3 rows back and were getting drenched. At one point a couple in front of us (who kept the mood light despite everything) turned around to see BJ and I in our rain coats zipped up with our sunglasses on to shield our eyes of the water spraying in. Pathetic yes… Then, towards the middle of the trips with the swells spewing more water into the boat I realized that the crack in the middle of the boat (that I had seen but quickly pushed out of my mind at the beginning of the trip) was quivering. The boat is made of fiberglass and therefore is made to be flexible. But this was a little too much for me and added to my sense of alarm. BJ noticed it to and at one point yelled back to the captain that the crack at our feet look about ready to pop. I kept praying and praying. BJ would smile my way, try to kiss me (ending up kissing my on my eye or chin due to a large swell and then even bigger slam of the boat) and tell me we were almost there. At times we would just look at each other and burst into laughter. I must say I was happy to be back on roads and land and looked forward to our bumpy yet BJ guided trip home. I could not have done that trip on my own and having a 3 person team was so reassuring. It goes to show you that even in the midst of terrifying situations God has already foreseen the future. I felt as if with every wave we hit that God was saying

“Jenna, just because there are bumps in the road or lake that doesn’t mean you are not to trust Me. You have no control, child, the control is and has always been Mine. So do not fear but know this, I am not done with you yet and you will experience more bumps and be less in control than you are now. But answer me this: Have I ever let you go? Have I ever left you? You may have tried to leave me but I will always pull you back. You are my child and at times your fear and desire to be in control will hurt you. But know this: It hurts me more than it hurts you. For your fear and desire for control is what separates Me from you. Trust me…place your fear and desires in my hands for I love you, Jenna. Love Me too child…follow Me…”