Are you at your wits end?

HITTING ROCK BOTTOM

Even old grandmas enjoy an exciting vacation! To begin with, my time in Helen, Georgia last year didn’t look too exciting until I started down the Chatahoochee River on a bright pink inner tube. This was going to be fun. I saw other oldies like myself and so I was pretty sure I could handle this water sport.

Granddaughter Mallory was going to make sure I was safe, so she strapped our tubes together. “Check out the rapids, Mallory…wheee…and away we go“. This was going to be a breeze.


Sandy’s tube was attached to our grandson Eli’s tube just for safety measures and Zachary, being older, was on his own. Along with dozens of other tubers we went gliding down the river. Every once in a while we zoomed down some flowing rapids. This provided just enough excitement to keep the adrenaline pumping.

As we floated toward Zachary I overheard a remark about being independent so I decided to unlatch the strap. Within a few moments Mallory began to float away and when she realized what happened she yelled, “Grandma, you shouldn’t have done that!”

I just laughed and said, “There’s your independence Mallory.” I thought I was so smart. All of a sudden my tube got stuck on a huge rock. In the process of trying to free myself my tube capsized and I was under water and under the tube.

For a moment I wondered which way was up, until my feet touched bottom. Although the rocks were slippery I managed to shoot up and push the tube over. Getting back into the tube was another matter that I’d rather not discuss. (think whale)



Downstream Sandy had witnessed the entire mishap and jumped out of her tube and started yelling, “Hey, there’s a 90 year-old grandma who just flipped out of her tube….well, maybe not quite 90, but close.” By the time she got back to me I was safe and sound.

I immediately got strapped back together with Mallory and very sheepishly admitted my foolishness to her and the other two grandchildren.
Grandma’s not so smart after all. I admitted nothing of the kind to my daughter!

In reflecting on the incident, as I headed to the Cadwell Detention Center this past Saturday evening to teach a Bible study; I thought of how many of us have to hit bottom before we can look up. We think we can live our lives independent of others, but when we have that mind set, and then realize we’ve capsized, pride goes out the window and we yell, “Help“.

Those who have actually found themselves incarcerated, whether it be in a jail, detention center or prison are usually the first to admit they’ve hit bottom. However, one doesn’t need to be in this predicament to realize they’ve hit bottom.

As I struggled for air and to get free from my watery prison it was comforting to find the hand of a fellow tuber who pulled me up and helped me get back in my tube. Did I mention I was wounded in the fall? Blood poured from my arm and the man who was helping me was startled by the sight. Today I’m sporting a big bruise, but just so grateful my arm wasn’t broken.

Have you hit your rock bottom yet? Do you realize you can’t make it in this life alone? Not only do you need the hand of God to pull you up, you also need to be attached to a brother or a sister and to a good church family. You don’t need to be a Lone Ranger, friend. You might find yourself sporting a bruise or something worse as you journey down the river of life.

“They were at their wits end. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distresses.” (Ps. 107:27-28) “But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.” (Ecclesiastes 4:10)