For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.

~Isaiah 41:13 NIV

Sometimes, I find myself holding on for dear life to what I can see and touch. At other times, what seemed good turned into an idol. And on a few occasions, I later realized someone held me.

The Merced River twisted and crashed against giant boulders scattered along its bed. My stomach churned with each bend of the turbulent waters as our van traveled beside it. I imagined my body parts splattered on the face of one of those boulders. I wondered what I had gotten myself into.

To celebrate our oldest daughter’s graduation, our family headed west to explore Yosemite National Park and, on this day, to raft down the Merced River. Looking the part on the outside but quaking on the inside, I listened as the lead guide elaborated on every possible deadly scenario.

Knee-deep into my commitment, I prayed like never before. When the guide asked, “Who would like to ride along with this group of three who have never rafted before?” my hand hastily shot up. Hannah, my youngest daughter, in a moment of sympathy for her mother, agreed to join our motley crew. To my dismay, the lead guide assigned us a petite female guide while the rest of my family received a burly young man.

Our group made its way awkwardly through the gentle rapids, not quite in sync. I concentrated on matching the others’ paddle movements as we hurtled through a Class 3. Maybe not with the same finesse as the other groups, but we were exhilarated.

My enthusiasm evaporated as we approached Ned’s Gulch, the single Class 4 rapid of the trip. “Hard forward,” our leader barked. We dug in, matching stroke for stroke. After a few strokes, our paddles no longer hit the water. Like a slow-motion picture, frame by frame, a wall of water lifted over the bow of the vulnerable, inflatable raft. “Lord, help us,” I said.  

The wave tossed three overboard, leaving us with only half the crew. The wave pitched me toward the other side of our boat, where water had flooded our raft. But as quickly as the wave appeared, it evaporated, and we glided into calm waters.

After experiencing more adventure than I paid for, we viewed pictures taken by photographers who had snapped them at strategic places along Ned’s Gulch. The photos flipped frame by frame as I had remembered until one pivotal point. I saw the frame where the wave tossed our three mates. The next frame showed me plunging towards Hannah, holding on for dear life to her life jacket. The following frame showed our petite guide standing at the helm, holding the backs of our life vests.

The revelation stunned me. I thought I was the one keeping my daughter in the raft. It felt as if God was saying, “See? I’ve got you, Sally. When you’re afraid, I am with you.”

I’m so struck by my personal God. Sometimes, I envision Him as weak and ineffective, like our rafting guide. But He corrects my thinking and gives me a glimpse of His invisible hand holding me when I think He isn’t even present.

Remember God’s invisible hand when you are caught in an overwhelming situation and holding on for dear life. It extends toward you and will hold you unswervingly until the overwhelming adversity has passed.

Lord, I need Your help. Help me believe that You see and hold me during the painful seasons. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Genre: Non-fiction

Copyright 2025: Holding on for Dear Life: Sally Cressman: All Rights Reserved