Sometimes we get discouraged, we look at others who seem to be getting all the breaks of success. But, most people who reach their dreams have faced “the hard” along the way. The explorers of the Lewis and Clark Expedition were no different…
As Sacajawea and the explorers canoed down the Columbia River, they were exhausted and discouraged. But, hope revived when they began to see driftwood float passed their canoes, despite the piercing wind and pounding rain. The choppy current was strong, forcing them to shore…. a shore that had no bank.
The only thing they could do was climb to the top of a huge pile of gnarly driftwood stuck in the bushes. It bobbed and shifted under them. They tied their canoes and baggage around the edge and that was where they ate and slept. Day after day, night after night – cold and wet in that dismal place. That is why Captain Clark named it “Dismal Nitch.”
But, then, the storm passed and they were finally able to move on. Edging the shoreline they worked their way in the rough water to a high cliff jutting out into the river’s mouth. Climbing up loose dirt, brush and rocks, they struggled to reach the top. The salt air and seagulls gave them hope for a view of the Great Water…
But, it was not yet to be, for all they could see was a thick wall of fog. Yes, they were disappointed, they had come so far. And, the name of that place mirrored their feelings, “Cape Disappointment.”
Like those hopeful explorers, we are also called to walk a journey with unflinching faith – to believe in things unseen. We’ve been hurt and we’ve had difficult choices to make, sometimes blindly. But those who are “called” to something life-changing, must be willing to go to the edge. It is not for the faint of heart.
Sacajawea has many things to teach us from her incredible, adventurous path.
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