CRU Leadership Team - Weekend of Miracles on the French Broad River

CRU High School Leadership Team at on of our French Broad River Campsite Locations

     During the early Spring weekend of March 18, 19, and 20, the leadership team of CRU High School Atlanta-Central participated in an in-depth experiential education course in listening to God, experiencing His love, and seeing answers to prayer.

     The French Broad served as the classroom for us to wrap the 4 SPIRITUAL LAWS in real-time observations and experiences which might clearly explain these concepts to others upon our return home.  We had a great start thanks to Rory Rigdon at Asheville's Trinity Baptist Church for providing the vehicle and Matt Fuller of New City Christian School for driving the shuttle for the drivers.  After a roughly one hour wait while we set shuttle at Asheville's Westfeldt Park, we launched our canoes and the lessons started almost as soon as we headed downstream. The bridges over the river, the cool weather, and other things we noticed reminded us of gravity, psychrometric factors, and other unavoidable aspects of our world, and that the Creator God who made the physical world with these physical laws also made the spiritual world which likewise is controlled by unchangeable spiritual laws.

     God's love for us was demonstrated time and again by the unnecessary and yet unavoidable beauty surrounding us.  We saw this in the blue skies and thick contrasting clouds, the colorful birds, particularly the mallards, wood ducks, hawks, meadow larks, and finches, not to mention some of the most colorful sunsets you can imagine.  We also experienced His love this weekend in the more unusual happenings that several of us recognized as miracles.  One of these was the total inaccuracy of the weather forecast.  You may think it not unusual at all for the weatherman to be wrong but we had bright days and not a drop of rain every day on the river while, at the same time, the weather radar showed pouring rain in our location.  We and many of our friends back home had been asking Jesus for relief from the constant 60% - 90% chance of rain forecast for all day Saturday and Sunday.  The miracle came in the fact that while it did rain almost constantly, there was an unexplained warm air layer which settled over our route, causing the falling rain to evaporate before reaching us on the river.  God's timing (or His sense of humor) was further demonstrated in the rain storm that finally did open up on us within minutes after getting the van loaded and on the road.

     Our universal imperfection (Romans 3:23) was taught by our missed paddle strokes and frequent run-ins with overhanging limbs and spider webs. Our inability to reach God through any efforts of our own, if we ever had any doubt about it, was clearly demonstrated by the width of the aptly named French BROAD River. Jared talked of the uselessness of an attempt to swim across the ocean but several of us saw the same truth had any of us attempted to jump across the river without getting soaked (Romans 6:23).

Many of the strainers we had to negotiate allowed only one way of safe passage.

     The Lord seemed to reach out to us around every turn to dispel the lie that there could be many different ways to Heaven (John 14:6).  Although the river was really, really wide, the many strainers (trees, limbs, and other debris washed into the river) often ran shore to shore leaving only a tiny opening through which it was safe to pass.  We couldn't help but think of Matthew's words each time we had to negotiate these narrow passages, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matthew 7:13,14)
     Even with God's miraculous protection from the rainy weather, three of our group managed to exit their canoes mid-stream for a closer look at the many fish in the river.  Normally a reason for kidding and laughter; the cold water, steady breezes, and overcast skies combined with having all their clothes and sleeping bags soaked turned this into a very real threat of hypothermia.  Our prayers for support and relief for the wet paddlers were answered in short order almost as soon as we reached our next campsite. As we unloaded our gear and started setting up camp, we saw a horse and rider approaching.  She turned out to be Kelly Rhodes, owner of Rhodes Ranch where we were camping.  Hospitality hardly begins to explain the way she greeted us.  In addition to showing her pleasure at our use of her property, when she heard of our wet river rats and their soaked sleeping bags, she showed no hesitation in offering the use of her large dryer, easily capable of drying the wet sleeping bags and clothes.  It wasn't much later that Steve, her husband, showed up with his pickup loaded with firewood for our fire and ready to take the wet items up to be cleaned and dried thoroughly.  Needless to say, all slept well that night at Rhodes Ranch with a clearer understanding of how Jesus knows our needs and hears our prayers.  

      

Mr. Steve Rhodes, another of our "answers to prayer" with the three "fish counters."

Campfire time was great for warming, thoughtful discussions, and learning.

     I almost broke out in singing the old campfire favorite, "It only takes a spark..." as we watched the tender catch fire and quickly spread to bring light and warmth to all of us gathered around.  This clear demonstration of the exponential spread of the knowledge of the gospel message as each believer shares with two or more seekers reinforced our call to "go and make disciples of all nations." (Matthew 28:19)  One of our swimmers, Nathanael, was quick to point out his deepened understanding of the importance of the light and heat of the fire as opposed to dark and cold of night and how this reveals the supreme importance of having the "Light of the World" in our lives.
   
     God's blessings continued to flow out to us as we headed toward our final take-out on Sunday.  This was to be our longest day of paddling distance wise and rightfully should have been the longest in time also.  Our prayers that morning had been for safe paddling, continued dry weather, and endurance to make the distance without blisters, exhaustion, or late finish.  As usual, He had ways of giving us what we needed in a completely different way from what we thought.  We found ourselves speeding down the river at almost twice the pace of the earlier days, arriving at our destination hours earlier than expected.  The reason for this was the rain, which was not falling on us, had instead fallen upstream, swelling the streams flowing into the river, which in turn pushed us on downstream at record pace.

Some were obviously joyful upon reaching our final take-out at Westfeldt Park in Asheville.

Some of the CRU Team gathered for a shot before heading home.

     

Paddle GA 2010 - Broad River & Savannah River

This year's annual Paddle GA & Canoe-a-thon, which took us about 85 miles down the Broad River from Franklin Springs, GA to Clarks Hill Reservoir and then down the Savannah River to Augusta, GA with a short paddle down the historic Augusta Canal, included a special blessing of camaraderie and fellowship from one of our college student volunteers, JD DeCastra who attends Auburn University. JD was not only a great help to me but jumped in to help the rest of the Paddle GA Navy whenever the opportunity presented itself and proved himself an admirable fund raiser by raising more contributions than anyone else. He then distinguished himself once again by donating the first place prize of a We-no-nah Adirondack canoe back to the OWLS Ministry to help us in providing great opportunities for sponsored at-risk teens. JD's selection of river trash earned him the title "Chair-man of the Broad." Once again I'll give you a break from my writing by giving the floor to JD. Here is his report of the week we spent on one of GA's foremost river systems: JD introduced me to one of the many critters we met along the way. When I started on this trip I was not sure of what I was doing or why I was doing it. I did not know the significance of or importance of what I had signed up to do. I took a leap of faith and jumped on an opportunity that presented itself before I had a chance to change my mind. The bulk of my struggle came when I was trying to raise the money to go on the trip. There were many times that I wanted to give up and say that I was unable to raise the money. However God blessed me with the strength to continue and stick it out. So when I was finally going, I was ecstatic, but nervous at the same time. Yes I work with kids, and know how to deal with them but I had no idea the gravity of the situation that I was embarking on. Warren Raymer who was a repeat OWLS participant enjoyed every rope swing he could find. When I first meet up with Mr. Simms I was give the tragic news that my paddling partner was not going to attend due to a death in the family, and that we were going to have an even smaller group of kids. It seemed as if the trip was already a bust before it had even begun. However even the tragedies in life are a part of God’s plan an even though I do not understand why some things happen I must trust that they are there to better me and those around me. The fact that there were not many kids on the trip allowed me to talk not only with kids but also with adults. This put me even further out of my comfort zone. It is hard enough to get someone to see God in every day events, and help them understand the lessons learned when that person is half your age, but trying to do the same to someone who is twice your age is even more difficult. People twice your age are suppose to have twice the wisdom and intelligence and are the ones who are suppose to be teaching you, and it took a while to get accustomed to switching shoes (I am still nowhere near comfortable doing so still). JD, Brad, and Warren discussing God's lessons as they travel downriver. The first day I sat at the starting location for around six hours by myself waiting for the rest of the OWLS to arrive. During this time I was very far out of my comfort zone so I stuck to the manners that my parents taught me, said a prayer for strength, and dove in head first to meet as many people as I could. I met many great people during this time, their ages ranging from young to old. Even though you just met them they treat you as if you had known them for years. The whole environment is very welcoming. The outdoors seems to have this effect on people. At Paddle Georgia everyone is the same. Everyone has to paddle the same amount, carry their own gear, suffer through the same heat, and sleep in the same uncomfortable sleeping conditions. It gives people something to relate to with each other. Notice Warren's lowered center of gravity as Brad maneuvers through the shoals. Through out the trip I shared my life story with random people that I met along the way and they would share theirs with me. I would talk and meet people on the river, eating a meal, sitting at camp, and riding the shuttle. The best part was I met people of all ages, walks of life, and different geographical areas. This gave me the opportunity to see the great diversity of God’s people, the fact that everyone has far different personalities but yet we are all the same. There was a time when I was paddling with someone on the last day and we were about 100 feet from the take out when we both jumped in to say that we have swam in the most polluted river in Georgia. We then started to swim to the take out and one thing lead to another and we were racing to the take out with or boats being dragged behind us. Then people started to line the edge of the river and cheer us on. I unfortunately lost but oh well. The point of the story is to show the camaraderie of all the people on the trip. "Chair-man of the Broad" day two. The morning of the second day was the first of our 85 miles. While on the river I had the opportunity to witness many of God’s lessons through nature and the people around me. The river offered many different types of experiences: there were times when I was by myself and it seemed as if I was the only one around for hundreds of miles. I used this time to reflect on my own life, listen to God and appreciate him in the natural world around me, or I was in the middle of a group of people shooting water guns, playing around, or talking. Experiences also changed with the river. Some days there were rapids, flat swift current on a relatively narrow river, or flat still water in the middle of a lake with the sun beating down on me, and with each different environment came many different lessons and experiences. JD just about to get his hair wet at the top of "The Falls." I think JD was the only one to hold his nose while taking the long plunge into the lake. The best day was when we first put on the Savannah River. We put in below a dam were the water temp was in the mid 50’s. Paddling in the early morning fog was the only time we felt even a little cool air. In the morning there was a fog over the water that was so thick I would barely see 20 feet in front of me. The most amazing part was that I could see the sun rays coming down hit the water and reflect off, and to add to the experience and beauty just as the fog was lifting a bald eagle soared over the river at tree top level. This was a sight that I will most likely never see again. The rising sun sent visible messages reminding us of God's awesome love. The part of the trip that stuck out to me was the talks I had with Mr. Simms at the end of the day. Our talks were normally about the lessons that we learned throughout the day and he would tell me stories of past trips and of the kids that he has worked with. This was when I began to realize the gravity of what I had embarked on. Two things happened I began see and realize that kids are stuck in a cycle of poverty, and how trips like paddle Georgia can be beneficial to the kids. Some of the problems that face underprivileged kids are, a lack of problem solving skills, individualism, and team work. When the kids are in school they are told to sit and listen, they are not challenged to be creative individuals or have an opinion, and since kids are not taught these things at school they learn these from the street and the people they hang around (not always the best place to learn these things). What paddle Georgia offered these kids was the opportunity to not only to experience something new but begin to learn these valuable skills. When you are paddling a tandem boat you must work as a team or you will never get down the river. A perfect example of this was a canoe I noticed where the person in the back was not paddling - just dragging the paddle in the water instead, because of this it was taking a long time for the boat to get down stream, and the sweep boat (the boat that will be the last off the river) was trying to make them go faster. Eventually the person was removed and the boat made it down the river. So in order to effectively paddle a boat you have to work as a team or you will never reach your goal. Being on the river not only forces you to work as a team but also to use problem-solving skills. As my experience coaching little kids gymnastics, I have discovered first hand that small kids have no problem-solving skills and they must be taught, something that can only be learned through trial and error. Paddling presents the perfect opportunity to do this. When you are sitting at the top of a rapid you have a problem that you must overcome. The problem is that you have to get to the bottom of the rapid without getting hurt. This step does two things it teaches the kids to recognize a problem and set an overall goal. Then you must pick a line, and stay on that line. As you are going down it is easy to get off line and you must react to the situation. This teaches the kids to think through how to achieve their ultimate goal and overcome the original problem. It also teaches them to react to an unexpected change in their original plan. Finally just being around a multitude of different individuals shows the kids the importance of individualism. They get the opportunity to get out of their bubble where all the kids act the same and just be themselves. However it is hard for kids to pick up on lessons such as these and it is even harder for them to apply the lessons to their own life. This is where OWLS comes in. We don’t just tell the kids the lessons that they should learn but we make them see them for themselves. We ask certain questions to get the kids thinking and guide them in the right direction. In doing this we help to teach the kids to pick up on the lessons themselves. It also rewards, and teaches them the importance of creative thinking. Anthony Shoals was one of my favorite parts of the trip. The trip started out on a bad foot with the loss of my paddling partner but overall it was an amazing and rewarding trip. I not only got to meet many new people, experience God in the natural world, help people along their journey through life, and grow closer to God but by the end I understood the importance of what I had signed up to do and am very grateful that God gave me this opportunity. I pray that many kids will be able experience the same that I did and grow to better themselves and those around them. JD Decastra - 2010 Looks like JD was a favorite of many along the way! These ducks kept me companion for the last 2-1/2 miles of the trip.

OWLS Adventure in Alaska's Kenai Wilderness

The OWLS Alaskan Adventure took us across the Swan Lake Canoe Area, a well known but seldom traveled section of the Dave Spencer Unit of the Kenai Wilderness Area and the Alaska Moose Range. Check back here often because, during this amazing trip, we saw and experienced so many things that I will probably be updating this post for quite some time. Meanwhile, take a look at some of the photos here and try to imagine all those that we wish we had been able to shoot. Always open to questions and several have already asked about going on our next trip across "Alaska's Boundary Waters." Just let me know how many are in your party and when you can get away for a week or so and I'll do my best to make it happen.


The "Final Four" (Ben, Jack, Clay, & McClain) at the edge of Canoe Lake #1.

We started out with ten signed up for the trek but only seven arrived in Anchorage where we all assembled to start our adventure. The day we headed out to the trailhead, three others decided this expedition might be too much for them (or possibly due to the news of recent bear maulings the day of our arrival) and would not be convinced otherwise. After hurredly resorting our gear and provisions, we were still able to get a reasonable first day of paddling in and made camp on a point looking across Otter Lake with a view usually reserved for postcards.


Can you believe the record is a kick over 11 feet above the ground?


We passed Skilak Lake, part of the Upper Kenai on our way to Soldotna. Notice how the water here still has that blue sparkle indicating its glacial origin.


This view of the Kenai left no doubt in our minds that we didn't want to capsize in the river.


Our Alaska base of operations, Denise Lake Lodge.


One of our first views of Alaska from the ground. Although this immense wetland which is home to an amazing array of birdlife looks as wild as can be, it is actually the result of poor engineering for the construction of the Seward Highway which can be seen in the distance. When building up the roadbed for the highway, the many small creeks flowing across the terrain were effectively dammed up, creating what is now one of Kenai Peninsula's more highly visited wildlife attractions.

Here's a map of the various campsite locations we used during the week and that of Denise Lake Lodge, our base of operations on the Kenai Peninsula. We stayed at Denise Lake Lodge, the shore of Otter Lake, the beside Swan Lake, along the Moose River, then at its mouth in Sterling where it joins the Kenai River, and then back to Soldatna and the Lodge before parting company.

Jack's photo to send back home. Just in case someone didn't believe he really went there.

We took time to tour the native Alaskan museums, learn of customs, and even their music and games.

Jack decided that moose have every excuse in the world to be unpredictable, especially after carrying that much weight around on their heads all the time.

Possibly due to our excellent application of Leave-No-Trace Principles or maybe just because we made too much noise, the only bear spotted was on the opposite shore and downriver from our campsite in Sterling at the confluence of the Moose and Kenai Rivers.

The moose in town (this one near the airport) didn't seem to mind our presence nearly as much as their out-of-town cousins.

Clay in his usual situation: cigar in mouth and rod in hand. If he wasn't paddling or sleeping, he was fishing!


Our campsite along the Moose River was an obvious favorite of both human and wildlife visitors.

Spring is calving season for the moose and we saw evidence of it at every turn. Of course, some like David Tenenbaum and his boys didn't see the evidence until too late and ended up being treed by Mama Moose. Dave - send us that video link you shot from the tree!

This fellow might have been a bit too close for comfort but who am I to run him off?

Here I am on one of the many Swan Lake Canoe Area portage trails. Like many others, this one is covered with planks to prevent travelers from sinking into the often boggy mire.

Clay and our lunch-to-be on the side of Rock Lake. Three Coho Salmon caught in the time it took me to build the fire. No need to open the packaged tuna on this trip for sure!

I guess they call this Swan Lake Canoe Area for a reason.

Another view from our Moose River campsite.


Jack earned the title of "Jack the Pack-Mule" as he definitely carried more than a fair share of our gear on many of the portages. When the trails closed in, we found it much easier to carry the canoes from the center rather than sharing the load and "steering" around curves from either end.

Here's Clay casting for yet another of the many Rainbow Trout he pulled from the Moose River during the two days we paddled it.

We couldn't let something like setting up our first night's campsite get in the way of another good meal, chili this time.

Heading back out across Otter Lake on Day 2 to continue our adventure.

Jack and I cruised across Swan Lake.

This fellow had obviously become conditioned to either generous or sloppy campers around the spot we stopped on the Moose River. He watched us incessantly and sat on a branch right over my shoulder as I prepared our meals.


The Bradleys paddling one of the more intimate upper sections of the Moose River.

I practiced some really "laid back" paddling on this section of the Moose River.

One last photo at Denise Lake before heading our separate ways.

Heritage Preparatory - Middle School Experience on the Toccoa River

The whole crowd used the swinging bridge where the Benton MacKay Trail crosses the river to study the trip's most challenging series of rapids.

The August 21, 2009 trip taken down the Toccoa River by the Heritage Preparatory School’s middle school students and teachers was not only a time for fun, fellowship, and the bonding which comes through shared experiences and especially challenges; it was also a time for personal growth and education. It was particularly a time to learn about communication, how it’s done, and its importance in achieving both personal and corporate goals. Students and faculty learned about communication with each other and communication with God – especially how He communicates with us through His creation and our experiences in it. We also looked for ways the Lord communicated lessons about preparing for the upcoming school year and preparing for the rest of life.

We are all familiar with Psalm 19, Romans 1, and other parts of scripture which tell us that creation has been revealing its maker and His attributes since the beginning of time. We often acknowledge that God created not only the physical laws, like gravity and thermodynamics, which govern the physical world but also the spiritual laws which govern our spiritual lives and our relationship with Him; but it was a little bit different for some of these students to realize that a big part of God’s character and attributes are reflected in the plans He has for our lives and that the “living parables,” which He allows us to experience every day, can teach us how He expects us to live.

The river had been low for quite some time and, even before the adventure began, God proved His faithfulness in answering our prayers for rain by bringing regular rainfall almost every day in the week leading up to this trip, raising the river to an almost perfect level for beginning paddlers and to its highest level in more than a month. Not only that, but the day of the paddle was clear, relatively cool, and absolutely beautiful. The restful sound of the rain all through the previous night made it easy for my two helpers/safety boaters Kelly and Shannon and me to have everything set out and ready for the arrival of the rest of the group long before the scheduled 10 am launch time. Since the rains had started almost immediately after I received Dr. Owens’ email notifying me that he was praying for rain, it was wonderful to have him volunteer to give our pre-launch prayer for our safety and thanksgiving for all we had and would experience.

It took me a while to figure out how to get all the canoes we needed to the river. Now I had to unload them all.

One of the first things I pointed out to everyone during the pre-launch safety briefing was the all too common mistake of resting one’s paddle across the gunnels while moving through a rapid or just downstream. In spite of this warning, I saw numerous examples of students doing this, sometimes combined with a white knuckled grip on the gunnels as they moved across shoals and drops. Others may have avoided resting their paddles on the rails but still managed to keep them at such a low angle that all they could do was splash water rather than fully wet the blade. Some were lucky and made it through unscathed. Others were introduced to a new version of a lesson originally taught by Jesus about the importance of stewardship and proper use of the blessings we are given. When resting on the gunnels or used inefficiently, the paddles do no more good than if they had been left on shore. White knuckles and splashed surface water are simply signs of poor stewardship and, just like the servant with one talent who had it taken from him, a number of participants had their paddles taken from them as they found their canoes washed into rocks or logs by the river currents. We can only reach our goals when we make every stroke count. Contrarily, poor stewardship of our God given skills, time, and other assets allows us to be swept along by the currents of daily life into the deadly strainers of the world.

Another corollary to the lesson of the unused paddle which we discussed was the importance of having a common goal whenever two or more people need to work together. This takes a common vision, a workable plan, and clear communication of that plan. Sentences heard like, “Let’s go around that rock!” do little to avoid problems because there were lots of rocks and most had more than one side by which they might be passed. Others learned that words like RIGHT and LEFT needed to be interpreted clearly since to some people RIGHT means “go to the right” and to others it means “there’s a rock to the right.” I guess it’s pretty clear what the results were when the bow paddler decided to pass a rock on the right while the stern paddler passed it on the left.

We discussed the way the river forced us to realize the importance and relationship of both short term goals and long term goals. As we studied the choices which lay before us at the launch site, we realized that there were many fine short term choices to be made but not all of them, if chosen, would allow us to easily continue our downstream voyage. Likewise, making a decision about school or about life with only our immediate comfort or success in mind might impede our ability to achieve our long term lifetime goals. Many of the students suggested rightly that perhaps the best course of action was to paddle upstream a short way, against the current, so they could be better lined up to take the path which allowed easier passage all the way through the rapid. Likewise, we must often make more difficult decisions or take a more challenging route if we are to achieve our long term lifetime goals.

As we worked our way downriver, each team of canoeists picked the route they thought best.

During our stop at Rock Creek some of the students looked at a very special material I showed them. Some of them guessed it to be old tree bark and others thought maybe some of Shannon’s red hair. These fuzzy delicate strands were actually some of the fibers from a throw rope like the one used to free the boat which became stuck about 45 minutes later in the Class III rapid just below our stopping place. The obvious lesson to learn from this is that there is strength in numbers and that we can do much, much more with the support of others working together with us toward a common goal. This lesson clearly reflects God’s Word where Ecclesiastes 4:12 tells us that “a cord of three strands is not easily broken” but a deeper and probably more important fact is learned as we study how these rescue lines are put together. There are strands made of extremely strong fibers which are nearly impossible to stretch or pull apart. These strong fibers are also very dense and surprisingly so subject to abrasion that they are almost useless by themselves in a rope. Other lighter and weaker fibers are woven around the stronger denser fibers when the rope is constructed. The result is a rope that not only can pull more than a ton without stretching but one that can stand being dragged across rocks and will float on water. Romans 12:4 and 1st Corinthians 12 are but two wonderful examples of how the body of Christ is just like that rescue line, many different people with different attributes working together for the common goal of His glory and His pleasure. This same lesson had been taught all day long as participants experienced the way the paddlers in the bow used one set of skills combined with a different set used by the stern paddlers to work together to maneuver the canoes around hazards and safely downstream.

Everyone took a much needed break from paddling to cool off when we reached the intersection with Rock Creek.

Even some of the teachers enjoyed the rope swing at Rock Creek!

Many of the strainers we encountered during our excursion stretched almost completely across the river. Some of them were already clogged with a collection of driftwood and river debris which had become entangled in them after floating aimlessly downstream. On at least a couple, we spotted snakes waiting for an easy victim and all of these strainers spelled danger and destruction for anyone not being careful to choose the safe route around or through them. What clearer analogy could there be than this to Christ’s warning, as He spoke to the multitudes during His “Sermon on the Mount” saying, “Broad is the way that leads to destruction, but narrow is the path that leads to life.”

“Who has ears to hear, let him hear.” One lesson, upon which I hope all the students have had time to reflect, is that of our responsibility to others. During the safety briefing, I told everyone that they were responsible for the canoe following them, that they were to stop and wait if they ever started to get out of sight, and render any kind of help they could while remaining safe themselves. On three or four different occasions before our stop at the swimming hole we pulled over to let everyone catch up, only to discover that the fifth or sixth canoe in our group hadn’t been seen by the one behind it for quite some time. Before our hike to the swinging bridge, we discussed the importance of being a reliable leader and example to those who will follow. When we got to the bridge, again the line had been broken by those not looking after the ones who followed and about half our group missed a crucial turn along the trail. After negotiating the rapids below the bridge, we regrouped and headed on downstream to a revised take-out location. Again, when we got there, we had a steady arrival of eight or nine canoes and then nothing for quite some time. I don’t remember who said it but I do remember hearing someone say, “They were having trouble back there so we just went on around and downstream to catch up with the others.” Please folks, if the entire team doesn’t reach the goal, it hasn’t been accomplished. If we are all only looking out for ourselves, we are not acting as team players. It makes no difference whether that team is your class, your school, your company, or the body of Christ. It is our duty to support each other however possible and encourage each other without ceasing.

One of the students reminded me of an important lesson that I had been ignoring through most of the day. I thought I had prepared for everything that I had any control over. I had experienced safety boaters in place to help as necessary down the river, I had pre-arranged alternate take-out locations, I had studied the river conditions with local paddlers over the last few days, I brought not one but two separate kinds of snacks for everyone to have if they got hungry during the day, and I had brought a sealed container to help protect everyone’s lunch on our way down the river. Then I ended up beating myself up mentally all day long over the way I let myself get distracted (by a tree that had shifted across the river during the night’s rain) and left the lunches safely in the container – on shore. Somewhat thankful that everyone had been offered the snacks, I still felt the tension every time someone asked about lunch or said they were hungry. Then, when we finally took-out at the end of the day, one of the girls came up to me and mentioned what a blessing it was to have her supper waiting for her right there on the side of the river. Yes, the snacks became lunches, the lunches became dinner, and God is good – all the time! How could I forget that “all things work together for good, to those who love God and are called according to His purpose.” Of course, it was Jesus Himself who said, “I praise thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and wary, and hast revealed them to the children.” (Matthew 11:25)