Get Down On Your Knees

A couple of days ago, I had to learn what to do if someone is paddle boarding and something goes wrong while I am giving them lessons or leading them on a paddle. While the likelihood of having a situation where someone falls off their board and are drowning or unconscious is very minimal, I am required to know how to get them back on their board.

I was rather nervous at the thought of practicing this for the first time, especially since the man I was "rescuing" was a foot taller than me and more than twice my weight. It seemed a bit impossible to me to be able to pull his dead weight up onto a board while I was in the water, until I was shown how it was done and tried it. I succeeded in the first try. For nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37).

Thank goodness I learned how to do this because today could have easily been one of those days where something could have gone wrong. I was one of three people taking a group of nine paddlers out to the river. I was bringing up the rear and just as we were about to exit the harbor and enter into the river, one of the girls at the back of the group said she suddenly felt faint and was seeing spots.

I told her if she wanted to return to the docks to get some water and relax until the feeling passed, I would go back with her, but the main thing was for her to get back on her knees on the board. If she had remained standing and fainted, she would have likely hit her head on the board and become unconscious. Getting back on her knees lowered her center of gravity, made her feel less faint, and kept her safe from falling. We made it back to the docks without incident, thank goodness. 

So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he’ll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet. (James 4:7-10).