"Trust Your Guide!"

           “Trust your guide!” That was the last reminder Loloy, our guide, gave us before telling us to get into the raft. The firmness in his voice made it sound more like a command than just a simple reminder.

            With excitement, I, my two sisters-in-law, and two youngsters stepped into the yellow inflatable boat, all neophytes in white water rafting. We were expecting an adventure especially since we signed up not just for the beginner’s level, but for the advanced level of rafting. We were told by our guide that Cagayan de Oro River spans 17 km and we were about to face at least 21 major rapids or rough waters. White water rafting is the main tourist attraction of Cagayan de Oro City in the province of Misamis Oriental.

            With skillful navigation, Loloy and his companion guided us through alternating quiet waters, rough waters, and whirlpools. The basic commands He taught us earlier were put to use as we met rough waters and rocky areas. With every command of “Easy forward!”, we half-submerged our paddles and maneuvered slightly. But with “Hard forward!” we paddled with all our might against strong whitewaters. We rapidly went past big boulders and avoided large whirlpools that spew mists and produced rumbling, gurgling sounds. “That’s a dangerous spot,” he said.

            Our thrilling rafting experience reached a climax when Loloy, who earlier, amused us with his jokes and delightful stories about rafting, turned serious and announced, “I can lead you away from dangerous spots, but this one—we have no choice but to face it headlong.”

            I wasn’t sure if he was bluffing or not. Earlier, he maneuvered the raft that made us thought we were about to flip over, but later we realized that he was in full control of our rubber boat. I remember him repeating when we were in a quiet part of the river, “When rafting, you have to trust your guide. A good guide knows how to read the waters, and knows how to secure his riders. But if you want some fun and adventure, an experienced guide can also give that to you.”

            Whether our guide was bluffing or not, I gripped the middle part of my paddle, and poised myself together with my thrill seeking companions to face the strong current. In an instant, I felt a huge wave splash over us, then our boat was in mid-air and then the drop! Soon after, I heard Loloy cry victoriously, “Whoa! We made it! We made it!”

            I realized that what Loloy said was true—when rafting, you have to trust your experienced guide. He can control the boat so it won’t flip, he reads the waters expertly and navigates you to safety, but he can also be playful to give you some fun and adventure.

            In life, we journey through a river—sometimes turbulent, sometimes silent. God is our all-knowing and all-powerful Guide. He knows how much trials we can handle, and He gives us the ability to conquer. We only need to listen to His instructions and commands. With courage in our hearts and with trust in God, we can overcome any turbulence and hindrance and eventually triumph.