Paddle Grace

The Student Ministries interns and I led a canoe trip down the upper Black River today. Along with us was a young man, 17, who about ten years ago was in an accident that severely limits his ability to move and communicate. He is a great kid who loves life for the most part and desires to be accepted as normal. There were 12 of us on the river, including Joseph, seven high school students and five adults. Two of the adults were aides that care for Joseph. What I witnessed today was a dramatic display of the goodness of God. The mercy and grace that God pours out into our lives moment by moment was clear as the blue summer sky.

Joseph is dependant on people around him to give him care, protection, nourishment. Students who don’t really know him all that well were carrying him by the arm, talking to him loving him. At one pressure filled moment when his canoe tipped people were diving in the murky river to stabilize his watercraft. His head was lifted out of the water, his canoe was kept from sinking, he was carried up the bank and then a long way to his special van. He was burned from the sun, coughed up a little river water, lips chapped from the ultraviolet rays and wind, smelly yet he was laughing. He was laughing! And for some reason beyond my understanding, a group of American teenagers got beyond themselves and loved, really loved. Loved like Jesus would love Joseph and I witnessed it all. At the end of the day I sat in the van getting ready to load the canoes for the trip home and I cried. Thank you Jesus for letting me see you today.