Forming the border between the states of Washington and Oregon is the powerful Columbia River. The river is very wide in areas with many hydroelectric dams, strong currents and hazardous undertows.

As a teenager, I spent most of my summer days on that river with my friends, boating and waterskiing. One weekend, my father allowed me, along with three of my friends, to take the family boat to camp on an island in the middle of the river. After dark, we pulled the boat up on the shore for the night and slept under the stars. During the night, one of the dams upstream released a significant amount of water, raising the water levels downstream.

Early the next morning, I panicked to see that my dad's boat had been swept away during the night, along with all life jackets and flotation devices. With no other boats around and knowing no one would come to the island for hours, it seemed our only option was to swim across the river to the boat launch and contact the river patrol. My best friend Dan and I decided we would go.

We set out full of teenage invincibility. Halfway across, the powerful current quickly swept us past the boat launch, and it became clear we were in big trouble. Fighting the currents, water temperature and undertows, we were both exhausted, and panic began to set in. Dan yelled to me that he wasn't going to make it.

At that point in my life, no one would have described me as a spiritual person. Feeling scared, unworthy, selfish and certainly undeserving, I turned to God and offered a quick prayer. I was surprised how quickly and clearly the answer came. It was a quiet feeling of peace, accompanied by three clear impressions: 1) Keep a safe distance from Dan; 2) Turn on my side, face Dan and go with the current; and 3) Yell at Dan. I began to yell. I reminded Dan that he was my best friend, that we would make it and that I refused to let him give up. It took us a long time but we slowly worked our way to the shore completely exhausted, me yelling the entire way.

The Savior taught that our Father in heaven lets nothing go unnoticed, even a sparrow falling to the ground (Matthew 10:29). How much more, then, does he notice us? We are his children. He knows each one of us, values us and loves us unconditionally. He always hears and answers our prayers. The answer may be "yes," sometimes "no," sometimes "not now," or sometimes the answer comes in a way we do not fully understand at the time.

I am in my mid-50s now and look back at that experience in the river with gratitude for a merciful, loving Father who answered the prayer of one of his children, even that of a selfish, undeserving teenager.

By the way, the boat was found 15 miles downriver.