Is There a God?

   Since I was 12-years old and drowning at the bottom of the American River, I knew that there was a God.  I was on a kayak/canoe trip down the upper American River below Sutter's Mill with my dad and siblings.  The seven mile long "Gorge" was daunting to navigate with the high water flow rate released from the dam, but the cliffs were too steep to carry a raft and climb.  The only way through it was via the river. 
    My dad and I hit a 30ft tall boulder that stood prominently in the middle of the river.  It broadsided the slow leaking side of our raft and the water pushed the other side of the raft into the boulder like a fly swatter.  I sank and sank and sank with my eyes closed waiting for my sinking to be over.  Finally I was ejected out of the strong undertow, my body gently touched the bottom, and I opened my eyes. 
    Green slime was all around me!  I screamed and pushed at it to get away from it.  Then I realized as I watched my air bubbles rise that I was without air.  Fortunately, my push moved me into a slow upward current.  I could no longer move from lack of oxygen and relied solely on my life jacket to raise me, but I was very deep and the river was so powerful. 
    Suddenly this beautiful white tunnel of light appeared and gave me hope that I was near the sun and would breath air again.  I felt like it pulled me toward it.  Like a doll I just slowly rose upward.  I finally broke the surface and gasped air before I was pulled under again.  My older brother and sister watched helplessly as I went over a 10 foot waterfall and was pushed under again. 
    When I rose up again, I dog paddled to keep my head in the air.  I was so far away from everyone and so weak, but I paddled diagonally with my remaining strength to get nearer to them.  I managed to get near enough to the shore that my oldest brother was able to grab my life jacket and pull me out of the 1-foot-deep, swift-moving water in which I was going to drown otherwise. 
    As I lay on my back on the shore breathing in the wonderful air, I noticed that there was no sun in the sky to shine a tunnel of light through the water to me.  It was a completely overcast day!  In that moment I, this 12-year-old girl with only a minuscule introduction to religion, knew that there was a God, and that He wanted me to do something for Him someday.
     At 48 I am now doing what He wanted me to do---which He created me to do.  I am writing about my honest story of my life in my books from my "Anatomy of a Midlife Crisis Series."  My first book is released.  It's "The Romance of Kilimanjaro."

    I would also like to applaud this amazing teenage young man who understands the playing field in which we live, too.  He is doing what God wants him to do, as well.  He's telling us his story.  http://gma.yahoo.com/video/news-26797925/sick-teen-s-videos-go-viral-after-death-27729605.html#crsl=%252Fvideo%252Fnews-26797925%252Fsick-teen-s-videos-go-viral-after-death-27729605.html