We’re back from three days of whitewater rafting. All praise to the One who creates the heavens, the earth, and all that is in between and beyond.
This was my first time rafting. This was D&T’s first family adventure. This was our largest ever gathering: me and forty others. An auspicious number!
And we had a great time! It was the first time camping for some. We had adults and children with us that had never slept outside in a tent. That was an experience they had together, and that they allowed us to share with them.
The days were hot, the nights clear and balmy. We ate together, prayed together, had brilliant conversations, and got super wet.
A few days of river rafting, and it’s pretty easy to understand why water and boat metaphors figure so colorfully into our language. Flowing, floating, drifting, coursing, and running are all ways to experience the relentless push of time. Approaching rapids, our guides would raise their voices, hasten their barked orders, and warn us with frenzied paddling away from rocks and fallen trees. How many of our teachers, mentors, and elders play the same role in our daily lives?
Despite these warnings, despite even the skill of the most able guide, the rapids can overwhelm us. In these moments we still look to leadership, but we also pull deep from within ourselves. We are herd animals and the healthy among us cannot resist the natural pull to save each other.
Our second day on the river, one of our boats slid up a rock and flipped. There were five people in the boat in addition to the guide. The youngest person was a 10 year-old boy. They were dumped flailing into the churning water. The other rafts paddled against the rushing current to intercept the floating bodies, and one by one they were plucked out of the drink.
Everybody came together for the rescue. Men and women, adults and children- we all worked side by side to get our brethren out of the water and back into their boat. It was a scary moment made glorious by the work and spirit of the group.
Only the night before, one of our participants, Brother Suhail, reminded us: the Hand of God is over the group.
And with all of us safely back at home we can relax into the gratitude of having been blessed and protected by the Almighty.
Until next time, family.
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