I spoke with a dear friend tonight. Her mother has been given three months to live. Theirs was a difficult relationship yet, of the five siblings, she is the one attending to her mother’s needs. We discussed how difficult this situation is yet she says she has never been more at peace. It’s like a flow of energy she’s being carried on. I totally understand this. I feel it every day. I think this is what people see “on” me when they tell me I look peaceful, radiant. It’s that flow of energy.

It reminds me of a story. A friend was kayaking down a rough stretch of river. He came to some Class III and IV rapids and it had rained the night before so things were pretty rough. He was, quite literally, over his head as far as skill level was concerned. He came to a particularly rough rapid, a waterfall really, and realized he was going to hit it sideways, which was a recipe for certain disaster as the water was also freezing. He paddled and kept trying to turn his nose downstream but his tail kept getting swept that way. Suddenly, he realized the current didn’t care which point of the kayak went downstream and he just relaxed and went with the flow. He had to let go, and faith carried him through. It wasn’t easy…but it was possible.

Sometimes we are asked to do that one thing we really don’t want to do. The parable of the man who couldn’t give up his possessions when Jesus asked him to follow him comes to mind. He would have been so richly rewarded. The Gates of Heaven would have opened up on him had he only had faith.

Maybe we shouldn’t fight so hard to get where we think God wants us to go. Maybe it’s like dancing and we need to learn how to follow and not try to lead all the time. Faith is walking to the edge of all that you have…and taking another step.