I thought we weren't going to live to tell the tale

We've been reflecting on the blessing to be able to live in California, where we could drive one hour in any direction and experience varied topography that speaks to our Maker's breathtaking creativity. On our drive up to Big Bear a couple of weeks ago for a mini vacation with our dear community group, we marveled at majestic, evergreen-dotted mountains; pristine, tranquil lakes; and jagged rock formations. Every time a body of water came into sight, Alex's kayaking itch grew stronger. It spread to the rest of us like a contagion, so one afternoon, our group of eight adults and six kiddos rented two kayaks to explore the great, wide, watery somewhere. Not only had I never kayaked before, but I also don't know how to swim. Naturally, I was terrified of drowning and leaving Serene without her mama ;) After much coaxing and gentle peer pressure from everyone, I went. I thought we weren't going to live to tell the tale, but thankfully, Alex was a great protector who coached and reassured me the entire time we were paddling (which he ended up doing solo half the time). We had a blast, and even brought Serene with us at the end. She was way more courageous than I was; she kept attempting to stand and babble at the gentle breeze on the moving kayak. In fact, all the kiddos had so much fun. Their audacity really encouraged me not to be that stuffy, boring grown-up who prefers to sit on the sidelines and not join in on the fun. Thankful to the Lord for using kiddos, especially my own, to teach me ongoing simple yet valuable lessons.