Take Me to the River

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

What do you get when you combine a flooded river, a father and son, and a canoe?! A grand memory-making, bond-forming, 'really good time', to quote Destry! Alan had been planning an overnight canoe trip for quite some time, and I sort of thought it would get postponed due to all the flooding, but the guys checked out the river and decided it would be okay. I covered the trip in lots of prayer--especially considering neither father nor son had ever set foot in a canoe before! Alan has been reading books about manhood lately (*see bottom of post for a few suggested resources if you're interested in this topic) and desires to equip his sons to be men--mighty men for the Lord--esp. as he hasn't had a man to teach and prepare him for this task. We see such a lack of true men in this day, as men don't lead their families spiritually. Many are more concerned with climbing the ladder of success and pursuing their own selfish hobbies than they are in leading their families and churches. A look at the state of the family today tells the story. But that's a whole soapbox I could dwell on for awhile, and this post is supposed to be about the canoe trip! Destry started out wanting to take nothing but a hatchet (as per the book Hatchet by Gary Paulson. . .and add in Jean Craighead George's 'side of the mountain' books and you'll understand the 'survivor' mentality he was pursuing--EXCELLENT books for boys if you're needing some suggestions). Dad was a little less motivated to 'prove himself' and required matches, at least. Destry was persuaded to agree after he spent a great deal of time at home trying to start a fire with two sticks and decided it was more difficult than he had thought--esp. considering EVERYTHING is wet around here! They ended up taking a knapsack full of things: drinking water, sleeping bags, matches, 2 hatchets, a pan for cooking over the fire, some food (Dad was also not thrilled to eat frogs and turtles as his main sustenance!), flannel shirts and a Bible. Mom drove them to the river and begged them to wear lifejackets (the river was really, really deep and had a strong current--it was completely out of its banks--but I have to wonder if the lifejackets came off as soon as they got around that first bend!). They had a wonderful time enjoying the peacefulness and God's creation and learning to handle the canoe as a team. Shortly after they started out they had a big challenge as a large tree had fallen in the river. The current slammed them into the tree and they got hung up. An opportunity for problem solving at its best! Together they had to figure out what to do and how to work together to get around the tree safely. Alan said he was praying during this whole time that God would help them figure out what to do and to keep his son safe. But that's just the sort of 'man-building' experience he was looking for: perseverance, problem-solving, courage, coolness in crisis, etc. This post is getting too long to share the bonding they had in building a campsite, reading the Word and praying over the campfire, swatting mosquitos, meaningful conversations, appreciating their home and bed while laying on the hard ground, and eating a full pound of half-raw 'campfire bacon' (proclaimed the best bacon ever eaten!). And I shouldn't take space to share how they got back into the river the next morning when it had gone down about eight feet overnight leaving a sheer drop from the ground down to the river. But when I picked them up close to noon the next day, I got to hear all about it. I saw the benefit of their shared experience and overcoming the elements together. I saw Destry's confidence blooming and his fearlessness shining (although this very trait scares me sometimes as he is sure he is invincible!) Destry is ready to do it again! *Raising a Modern-Day Knight: A Father's Role in Guiding His Son to Authentic Manhood by Robert Lewis *That's My Son: How Moms Can Influence Boys to Become Men of Character by Rick Johnson *Mighty Men: The Starter's Guide to Leading Your Family by John Crotts *The Squire and the Scroll and study/activity guide by Jennie Bishop