We camped at Salmon Grove Campground in Copper Center and went on an all day fishing trip. We had to leave from the campground at 2:45 am and drove a couple of hours in a van on a seriously bumpy road to get to the put in site. This was to be no calm float down a placid river. No. This one involved some Class 3 rapids. I didn’t get any pics of the gnarliest rapids because I was hanging on so I wouldn’t fall off the boat. But we caught some King Salmon. It was a fabulous day.
And then I got one! The guide said my fish weighted about 30lbs. It wasn’t a long fight but it was so hard! Two old guys who were fishing in the same area as us held on to me. Keep in mind I was standing in the river on rocky ground. Otherwise, I surely would have fallen down and lost the fish.
John caught one too.
And some reflections about the day. I was truly scared when the guide gave us some safety instructions. Like what to do if we fell in to the 40 degree water and what to do if he fell in. Yikes! The boat was like a Zodiac and John and I were sitting in the back on the top of the tubes with just some ropes to hold on to. I held on for dear life until we got to our first fishing spot along the bank of the river. And then when we got back into the boat, I felt totally at ease. I now trusted the guide that, as he rowed the boat through the rapids, he knew exactly what he was doing. We followed his lead and even though there were some rough waters and rocks he had to row around, we were totally safe.
it reminded me about our walk with God. When we first decide to follow God and let Him be in charge of our life it can be a bit scary. We look ahead at life and wonder if we can trust Him to lead us. We see a path that seems right to us but it’s not the path He seems to be choosing for us. I thought this many times as our river guide rowed furiously in a direction that I did not understand. At this point, we have to decide if we are going to toss Him out of the boat and go the way we think is best or trust Him that he knows what’s best for us. Do we realize that he sees the rocks under the river that we cannot see and can lead us to calm waters? Do we understand that he sees the danger way ahead of what we can see?
So the second time we got back into the boat, I felt much less nervous. My grip on the ropes loosened. I trusted that the river guide knew what he was doing. And after getting in the boat after the third stop, I experienced the pure joy of going through those rapids. I knew that the river guide was totally in control of the boat and his only concern was to get us back to the campground safely. And isn’t that just like our walk with God. If only we trust that He knows best we can experience complete joy in life’s journey, even when we hit Class 3 rapids.
Wow, great fish that you caught!! Good thoughts too about trust in the guide on the river and trust in God being our guide.
I love it when God teaches us something through our adventures. I’m proud of you for braving it and seeing the bigger picture. And look at the great reward! So impressed with your catches! Love you friend!
Love you too and can’t wait to get home and have you over for salmon!
Nice report Diane. Great pictures and great thoughts about trusting God.
Wow, Diane… great catch! I’m so impressed! And such an appropriate analogy about our walk with God too… so glad I’ve learned to trust the Guide!! (I’ve never been river rafting, but it’s on my bucket list!)