Life Lessons in a Yellow Kayak

Recently, I watched a friend’s dogs while she was on vacation. Her home is on a beautiful lake and for several days I enjoyed the view from her back porch. 

I had walked past the same area many times, but this time something caught my attention—a bright yellow kayak resting on a rack under the stairs.

Hmmm… that might be fun.

I kept walking and thoughts began to multiply.

How hard would it be to get that thing down to the water?

Is it safe to go by myself?

Would it be worth all the bother?

Thoughts began growing about trying it. I decided that I could always stop if it got too hard. It had been 30 years since I’d been in a small boat on a lake, so my confidence was not very high. 

I started gathering what I needed:

• Life jacket

• Oar

• Water shoes

My first challenge was getting the kayak off the rack and down to the water. It was easier than I expected and my confidence began to build. But getting myself into the boat and off the shore would have been entertaining to anyone watching, but my spirits were high. I was doing it!

At first, steering with the kayak paddle was wobbly. I got past the docks and a new set of questions surfaced. 

How far can I go?

What if a boat comes by and the waves are too much?Is this safe?

My inner voice was firm, “Just go.” 

I hung close to the shoreline and picked up speed. It was anything but graceful, but it was fun. I wasn’t confident, but I kept going. 

Before long, I turned around and headed back. I felt a deep sense of satisfaction by doing something new—something I wasn’t sure I could do. 

The next day I went further. I got better at paddling and discovered that I didn’t need to exert as much effort to paddle. Once I found a rhythm, the kayak glided smoothly across the water.

Soon I was spending less time thinking about paddling and more time enjoying the beauty around me—the fish jumping (one got six inches from landing in my boat!), the ducks, cranes, geese, herons, and the shapes in the clouds.

I realized it wasn’t really about kayaking. 

It was about life.

God desires that we live an abundant life—with Him, in Him. He brings opportunities to grow, stretch, pursue, and experience what He places before us. 

I learned a few life lessons on the lake:

1. Become Aware. 

The kayak had been there all along. I simply hadn’t noticed. When we invite God into our life, He loves to reveal opportunities, friendships, gifts, and adventures sitting right in front of us.

Is there something in your life that you may be overlooking? 

2. Take One Step. 

I didn’t know what I was doing or if I could even do it. But I didn’t need to know everything. I just needed to take the first step. Many times, we wait until we feel completely prepared, but growth rarely happens that way.

What’s one step you could take this week?

3. Learn. Explore. 

Trying something new usually feels awkward, sometimes really awkward. We wonder if we’ll fail. So, we start with a willingness to learn and give ourselves permission to explore and be imperfect.

Is it awkward and a little scary? Yes!

Will you do it anyway? 

4. Keep going. 

The first paddle stroke was ugly. But every stroke moved me forward. Life is often the same. We rarely see the whole path ahead. God simply asks us to trust Him with the next step.

Sometimes faithfulness looks like showing up one more day and taking one more step.

5. Celebrate little things. 

To someone else, paddling a kayak might seem small. To me, it was a victory. We never minimize what God is doing in our life simply because it seems small to someone else. Celebrate every victory! Celebrate your courage. Celebrate the ways God is leading you to grow.

Think of something you can celebrate today. Rejoice in it!

The kayak was never really the point. The lesson was about saying “yes.”

When faced with the things I didn’t know.

When I wasn’t sure how it would work out.

God speaks to us in little things to prepare us for things to come. I’m preparing for a trip to south Asia. As it gets closer, I feel a little more shaky about going. God reminded me through the kayak to just take one step at a time. 

Hebrews 11:8, By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he left, not knowing where he was going.

Abraham didn’t have the whole plan. He didn’t know the destination or even how to get there. He simply trusted God and took the first step.

ICM Community is a place to find people who are saying “yes” to following Jesus. When the path feels uncertain, we need others who remind us to take the first step and see where God leads.

Join us for an upcoming Connection Conversation in our ICM community.

Let's Connect