Still Waters

I have just returned from two days canoeing the Kananaskis River on a canoe course. It was a fantastic experience with excellent leaders, amazing scenery and fast, rushing water. 

The first time that we launched I was in the bow (front) of the canoe with an instructor paddling behind me in the stern. I trusted the experience and wisdom of my teacher, but that did not completely alleviate the anxiety that arose as we were pulled into the turbulent current. All too quickly the shoreline dissolved into a blur as my focus was drawn to fumbling incompetently with my paddle. Tim (a leader) shouted instructions from behind: draw, hard, hard... now paddle, paddle, pry, and then, (forcefully) lean!

We had made it into an eddy, a place of calmer water lying downstream of some impediment in the stream such as a large rock or an outcropping of the shore. Once in an eddy, paddlers can rest while the stream continues its tireless cascade. 

Getting into and out of eddies takes skill and energy - at times the canoe is being paddled across the flow, precariously tilted with the gunnel a few inches above the thrashing water. It requires a high degree of trust between the stern and bow paddlers and a dunk into the drink provides the requisite experience upon which to build wisdom (I was not the recipient of such experience on this venture)!

When I arrived home late last night I was launched into another river - home and work life. The waters of life are at times deep, and the channel through which they flow is narrow. The needs of our families, friends and community, like the Kananaskis river, require energy and skill to navigate. Sometimes it all feels like it is flowing too fast and I fear that I will tumble over and be washed away by the current. At such times I am desperate for the safety and rest of an eddy.

The kids to soccer, baseball, dance; preparing supper, getting groceries, weeding the garden; repairs to a vehicle, renovations, helping a friend; career, job, school; family gatherings, social commitments, volunteering... the river is deep and there are rapids ahead with hidden rocks and a big log-jam at the bend and your arms feel like lead. Perhaps you know what I am referring to? 

We all need eddies - places where the current is slower and we can put our paddle down; a place of rest and renewal. You see, it's not that the river is a bad place to be. I am wildly passionate about the river of my life, the places it takes me and those with whom I share the current. There are times though when I just don't have the energy to keep up with the flow.

If your arms are getting tired of paddling, find an eddy. A cup of coffee in the middle of the day, a walk, a visit with a friend, a few days away - whatever it is that fills you. We may not be able to control the flow of the river, but we can choose when we step out to catch our breath. 

 I leave the last word to the Gospel of Mark:

Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” (Mark 6.31)

Paddle hard, and lean, and let the current take you to quiet waters.

Pastor Bill

Today
pray
for
quiet

breathe

be
at rest

you
are in
God's
hands

[First published June 13, 2012]