Written in Heaven

Well, I figured I'd post this before Dale did. (See the "Let Me Drive" link to the right to get to Dale's blog.) We're up in Wisconsin for a District Pastor and Spouse Retreat (Brooke couldn't come, sad face). It's at a beautiful resort right on Lake Michigan, which might as well be an ocean. We have a free afternoon so we decide to go kayaking. I've gone kayaking about 128 times (roughly) at my parents house since they own two kayaks. So I'm down and ready to show my stuff. We get ready to launch the kayaks and the guy we rented from is explaining how to get in. I'm all like "yeah whatever" in my head and head on down to get in. I inexplicably break every rule of getting into a kayak at once (somehow knowingly in my head) and as I go to enter the kayak, the whole thing flips me over and I'm swimming in the Sheboygan river, right next to Lake Michigan. This part is rather embarrassing, however, the water temperature is 45 degrees and it literally takes my breath away. I was gasping for air when I hit the surface because I literally couldn't breathe. Not my proudest moment.

I finally get out and everyone has a good laugh (myself included) and I have a choice to make: do I try to get back in or do I call it a day? Both options crossed my mind, but I was reminded of a story I had heard the night before. Dr. John Bowling (in all seriousness - a man I have an unbelievable amount of respect for), the president of Olivet Nazarene University had spoken to our group the night before about climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa. Yeah, seriously. So as I was standing there soaking wet, I thought, "If a 62 year old man can climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, I can kayak in the Sheboygan River." AND I DID!!!!! (cue theme from "Rocky")