D . I . COLUMNIST The Real Deal with Tommy D ' Aprile
There we were heading down a highlevel rapid , the boat being hit with water from both sides and the intensity of the rapids increasing . Just then I look over as we hit a pretty severe rapid wave only to see my wife falling backward into the raging water . I quickly got up and reached over the boat and grabbed her life vest . At the count of three I pulled and we were both back in the boat safely , regaining composure to face the next set of rapids ahead . And you thought drag racing was exciting ?
We spent the next five hours battling the Ocoee River rapids , and after a day like that I can only say I have a newfound respect for the power of river rapids and the skill level it takes to run through them . Did I mention that when we got on our boat we were told it was one of the highest-level rapids in all of the state of Tennessee ? Not exactly what we read online . When we told our guide what we read online he laughed and said , “ They lied .” I seriously thought he was kidding , but no joke , these were intense , and injuries from these types of rapids were very common .
Now most of you know I am a praying man , and on this day , I prayed all day . What we signed up for is not what got , but isn ’ t that life anyway ? It makes me think of how we are always hoping for everything to go as planned and we stay comfortably in the boat . Sometimes that happens , but most of the time we are hit with a surprise or an unexpected bump that throws us out of the boat .
Now the question I have is , what are you going to do about it ? When Samantha and I found out we were on a high-skill-level rafting trip , we could have easily opted out and rescheduled , but the journey that lie ahead was more exciting and scary than we imagined . The detours in your life can be some of the best building blocks in your relationships as well .
Here is an example . We sign up for marriage , and the brochure looks great . Palm trees , swimming pools and a perfect relationship . The reality is sometimes those palm trees get shaken by storms and we have the choice to evacuate or stay and protect our home . We are so good at running away that we never get to see the blessing in staying and watching the storm pass by . Our society today says to abandon ship and swim to another one , but “ As for me and my house , we will serve the Lord .”
When my wife fell out of the boat , there was no way I was letting her go . Although we were in a tough situation , the objective was to get back in the boat and ride it out . I know there are many different situations and circumstances we all go through daily and some are not as easy to get through as others . I am only encouraging you to stay the course if possible . Go through the rapids together and take a chance . It may be hard and you ’ re going to get cold , wet and uncomfortable , but in the end , you will feel a sense of accomplishment that no amount of money can buy .
The biggest thing I see daily is pride that continues to destroy our relationships . Daily I have to remind myself to love and serve even when I don ’ t feel like it . The flesh and our selfish desire says to “ get yours ” and all that does is continue to create hurt and bad habits that lead to falling out of the boat and never getting back in . I was able to pull my wife back in the boat with her help . She wanted to get back in , so we worked together . But many of us would rather float away hoping the next boat that picks us up will be filled with that perfect captain and crew .
Listen , you already have a boat that floats , now make it your dream yacht . You will encounter rough seas at times , but you will also encounter some of the most beautiful sailing imaginable . But you gotta stay in the boat to experience it . It ’ s not what happens to you , it ’ s how you respond that makes all the difference in your adventures . Get in the boat and don ’ t be afraid to fall out . Some of your best adventures are ahead . As always , the choice is yours to make . DI
August 2021
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