“And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea.”
-Mark 14:25
Patricia and I are back from family vacation on Sodus Bay in New York. It was a delightful time. Our days were filled with joy, laughter and even a bit of adventure. Certainly the highlight was all the time we had to visit with granddaughter, Piper, who is now 16 months old and developing quite a personality and vocabulary.
One of her words is “boat,”which pleases me greatly. For not only does she like to point at and name boats, she loves to ride in them, too. “Boat!” Yes, Piper, that’s the boat. Let’s go for a ride.”
Whether it is Sodus Bay; Lake Ontario; the Yukon River; The Tanana; Kachemak Bay; the Lynn Canal; or the Chena I’ve always found my time on the water to be a retreat. Sacred time. Refreshing time.
As the River Rat, a character in one of my favorite books, “The Wind in the Willows,” said to his friend Mole: “There is nothing—absolutely nothing—half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.”
It has never surprised me how many extraordinary stories of the disciples encounters with Jesus happen in boats. In calm or storm I, too, have met the Holy One, Jesus, on the water.
It is a blessing to have met him again in a boat, on retreat, with my family, with my granddaughter on the shoulders of Silvery Waters.
I’m in Juneau this weekend to participate in Holy Trinity’s Mortgage Burning Ceremony and Consecration of the Church Building (overlooking the Gastineau Channel appropriately enough—more water).
Coming up is the Standing Committee Face to Face meeting, and then visits to Eagle, Arctic Village, and Pt. Hope.
If you get a chance, get out and mess around (SAFELY!) in a boat.
