Over the years, I have taken a lot of adventure vacations. My favorites are still the time I spent at Space Camp in Huntsville, AL. I also went on a few cruises. A few months prior to the sail date, the cruise line sent a packet of information that listed the excursions being offered. My mom always went shopping in each port of call. I usually chose more adventurous options. In Belize, I hiked to some Mayan ruins. In Panama, I rode in a canoe to visit a rain forest village. While in Alaska, I made the same trek up the Klondike Pass as gold prospectors a hundred years before me.
I have also been kayaking twice. The first time was on Lake Mendenhall in Alaska, and the second was in Key West. I teamed up with someone I didn’t know in Alaska. At first, our journey was disastrous. We couldn’t seem to find a good rhythm. We worked against each other for most of the way toward the cove which was our destination. We were the last to arrive and missed a good portion of what our tour guide was sharing. But on the return journey, we found the key to working together and picked up enough speed to be the first to shore.
In Key West, my son and I shared a kayak. There was one other couple on the trip. Terrance was excited to be in the little boat and when he saw the oars, he wanted to try it for himself. Because he was only eight at the time, I told him to just sit back and enjoy the ride. The tour guide took us all over the Key, showing us the plants and birds that called that part of Florida home.
After about ninety minutes, my arms began to burn. That was when I wished that I had let Terrance try to paddle, even if we didn’t do it synchronously. I was convinced, after my experience in Alaska, that I could guide us through the water all by myself. I did alright for most of the trip; but near the end, I struggled to steer the kayak around some seagrass.
I admitted to the tour guide that I needed help. He gave the kayak a big push and we were both able to get out of the thick grass. That’s when the other couple got stuck. We had to rely on each other to maneuver our way through that patch of foliage and return to shore safely. In those few minutes, the five of us bonded because we realized that we were stronger as we worked together to ensure that none of us were stuck in the seagrass.
And I wish those experiences had left a bigger impression on me. Far too often in my life, I don’t ask for help when I find myself out of rhythm or stuck in the proverbial grass. That doesn’t work with what God has asked us to do. The missions and ministries we start are one of the ways we share how the Lord is working within us and through us. Our collective work helps us to build relationships with each other and accomplish the transformation of the world.
We need help to continue God’s work in and for the world. There is much for us to do as we fulfill God’s promises for all of creation. As we consider how we may serve our Lord, may we ask ourselves how we can respond to the needs of God’s children in the world, our neighborhoods, and our faith communities. Do your church’s ministries seek to help those who are lost, hungry, hurting, captive or invisible? What missions have been able to continue, even during the pandemic? What new missions can begin in 2022 as we reaffirm God’s call upon us? And above all, when do we ask others to help us, inviting them to share the work that our Lord has asked of us? May we seek the help we need for the people we serve. And Amen.