Kayaking has become a favorite “sabbath rest’ for Ken and I this summer. We love it and we love the places that we get to explore spending time with each other and with God’s creation.
We have always loved our experiences at Lynde Shores Conservation Area in Whitby, the quietness, the newness it brings every time one ventures down the chick-a-dee trail. There has always been something new and exciting and my heart just breathes in the refresh-ness to my soul. We loved walking the deck that was there out into the open water to see the swans and yes to take photographs of the wildlife and family. We love watching Hannah’s expression change as she walked, as she called it, the “Birdie Park” always wanting more seeds and peanuts to feed to the woodland critters there. I think that most times many of the peanuts ended up in her belly.
Kayaking this same marsh has brought a different perspective. For the first time Ken and I were at eye level with swans, herons, turtles, weeds, Lilly pads, birds, ducks and the murky water. We took deep breaths and breathed in this new perspective. It came because we were looking differently at the things around us. We could see the beauty up close; We could experience the joy and yes the hard work of paddling to catch the swans or paddling hard not to let the current take us out into Lake Ontario.
Perspective is everything especially in these challenging days. We cannot control what happens around us but we can control the perspective through which we choose to view. Maybe it takes getting down at eye level or the waters edge and look up to a brand new world.
