The Rafting Trip
Taken from the book"The Voices Within Us", by Jim Stewart

One Saturday, I went canoeing with Frank and John. I had never done this before. I was a bit apprehensive to say the least., and excited at the same time. When we got to the Guadalupe River, the canoe rental place gave us a map showing how to take some of the rapids. We climbed into an old truck which took us up the river about 8 miles. No turning back now. The river was high and moving fast. We soon set out in the river. Everything was so quiet and peacefull. All we could hear was the rush of the rapids. Going through the first rapids was fun, even though we capsized. We got back into the canoe and headed out again like pioneers. We noticed we lost the river map when we capsized, but we were not going to let anything spoil out fun. We went down many rapids and many times we spilled out of the canoe.

About halfway on our journey, we cam upon the fastest part of the rapids. The rapids were roaring and a giganticrock stuck out of the center of the rapids. The rock divided the river in jalf. We did everything we could to avoid the rock, but fate took us right into it. We capsized and the current took me under the water to some underbrush. I got tangled up in this brush and was running out of air and energy. I kept trying to free myself. I thought to myself, "This is it. This is the way that I am going to die." Then I prayed to God to help me. While I was praying, I felt something tug on me and pull me to the surface. I could not beleive it. I had almost given up. My friends were trying to find me. Here I was back in the canoe and wondering what had saved me. Then a peace and calmness came over me. I then realized what had saved me. I also knew that we would be safe the rest of the trip. We did not capsize the rest of the journey down the rapids.

Believe me, I said many a prayer thanking God and my guardian angel that night.