Grandma and her boys "river rafting".

Early Saturday morning McKee and Luke were out on the pond in the paddleboat feeding the fish. The night before they asked if they could go on the river and I said I thought it was too dangerous but Saturday when they asked again I thought, “Why not? Angie and her friends and even Meghan, and Lauren have canoed down the river,” so I said, “Sure, let's give it a try!" It took our combined strength to drag the paddleboat up the gradual pond bank, across the lawn and into the creek. We quickly discovered that McK was the only one who could steer correctly. Feeling like Huck Finn we paddled down the creek sailing along smoothly until we got to the bridge where we had to quickly lower the canopy in order to pass under it. That caused some excitement and McK was nervous and sure the boat was going to sink, Luke remained calm. We paddled around the corner and discovered that the bridge by Bob and Lil’s house was lower than the first bridge and I sure didn't want to get stuck under it with my boys. We turned around but we could not paddle strong enough against the current to make any headway and we were quickly drifting toward the bridge. We maneuvered close to the bank where the current wasn't as strong. I grabbed the grass, reeds and rosebushes and pulled us along making about 30 feet in 30 minutes. We needed more power so I sent McK after the oars from the canoe. While waiting for McK to return Luke asked, “Grandma do you think this was such a good idea?” I knew Mark and Shari were anxious to leave for California and they had no idea where we were. I mustered my most brave and confident response, “Sure, I said, we're going to be fine, just fine.”

When McK returned with the oars it quickly became evident that strong rowing and not-so-strong rowing make for "going in circles". Next McK helped by digging an oar into the mud in the creek bottom and pushing as I pulled along the reeds in the blistering heat of mid day. A few more minutes of that and I was totally exhausted. There was no way we could maneuver the boat back to where we launched it. Finally it dawned on me, ‘Maybe we should have a prayer!” McK eagerly offered to say it asking Heavenly Father to please bless us that the boat wouldn’t sink and that we would be able to get back safe. I am a bit reluctant to admit how shocked I was when within a few short minutes I looked up and saw a man standing above us on the river bank - in fact I was ‘stunned! It took me a couple of seconds for it to register that indeed we were being rescued ‘immediately’ following our prayer. Josh May, who is renting Bob’s house, said that he and his wife looked out the window and saw something blue on the creek and he decided to come down and check it out. If it had been me I would have thought “Oh, yeah, how interesting, something blue is floating down the creek." I believe that in answer to our prayer, Josh was inspired to come to our rescue. He and I easily lifted the boat up the steep bank.

As my boys and I walked back to the house McK said, “Grandma you are the most righteous person I know. Now I’m not here to judge, but that’s what I think.” Shari said that I am not the only person McK has said that to. He is a pretty observant kid. He knows what is right and he wants to be good. He - almost too quickly - recognizes the righteous efforts of others and eagerly points out virtuous and sometimes even unrighteous characteristics. My new resolve is that my grandchildren will always be able to see me as an example of righteousness.

As I have pondered our experience I am amazed at my slow response in asking for God’s assistance. I strained, struggled, and figured out my own failed strategies in the blistering heat until I was completely exhausted before asking for help. It was a perfect example of "man trying to prosper by his own means." When I humbled myself and McK asked for help, IMMEDIATELY the prayer was answered.

Alma 33:11 And thou didst hear me because of mine afflictions and my sincerity; and it is because of thy Son that thou hast been thus merciful unto me, therefore I will cry unto thee in all mine afflictions, for in thee is my joy... Thou art angry, O Lord, with this people, because they will not understand thy mercies, which thou hast bestowed upon them because of thy Son... O my brethren, if ye could be healed by merely casting about your eyes that ye might be healed, would ye not behold quickly, or would ye rather harden your hearts in unbelief, and be slothful, that ye would not cast about your eyes, that ye might perish?

Since I asked a few weeks ago to be shown that prayers really do make a difference, I have seen numerous examples of the absolute and definitive difference that prayer makes in our lives. Of course I pray morning and night, but struggling against a strong current with two impressionable boys, I realized that in the moment of tribulation prayer is eminently significant and efficacious. Most of the time it takes awhile for our prayers to be answered, sometimes years, but it is nice to know that when necessary, the answer sometimes comes unexpectedly and instantly.