Leaky Canoe and the Sticky Solution

Here is one experience from my last trip to the BWCA. It is one of two that stood out in my mind. I can't speak for the boys but I walked away with some bit of gold to remember for years to come.

This story is about some light-hearted mistreatment of a rental canoe and the wonders of the solution.

One afternoon while enjoying sometime around base camp, the boys ventured over to a small nearby island to explore the area. It was the small island on the eastern side, just south of our peninsula base camp.

Our peninsula basecamp due north of the small island on the east side of 4

Once there they noticed the shore of the island was full of the most amazing skipping stones. A competition began and soon the throwing turned into a full-on competition. In all the fun, the boys did not notice their canoe had started floating away from shore.

As the water can be a bit chilly and with the boys not paying attention, the boat was then beyond their reach without a quick dip.

Now here is where the boys' minds went into overdrive and came with a solution. They thought that by throwing stones over and beyond the canoe a splash or wave could be created and deliver the canoe safely back to shore.

The flaw in the plan was not considering the consequences of rocks that fail to clear the canoe and hit the boat’s thin aluminum hull. 

In the words of Scooby Doo, “Rud rowh!”

The boys somehow made it back to camp with a canoe now sporting a cool water intake to its underside. They explained to us what they had done and to their credit they owned the mistake and clearly understood the consequences. 

What they didn’t know was how they were supposed to canoe the 12 miles back to the launch on the last day with a leaky rig.

I had anticipated the possibility of such a circumstance and packed a small amount of duct tape. They watched as a quick application to the boat’s wound, it was then again seaworthy until a more permanent repairs could be made. 

Here we go - This life is to make choices – either good or bad. For these choices we; Prepare, Learn, Explore and Overcome Challenges. We make our choices yet we don't choose their consequences. Consequences are defined by the law of nature and the law of the harvest or in other words - by a loving Heavenly Father.  

The impact of those consequences can be far reaching in life. What do we choose to touch, watch, eat, hear, say and think? How do we love, react, serve, work and validate others? How do you want to Prepare, Learn, Explore and Overcome Challenges during this life?

Like many others, I believe that we are here to succeed. The plan that we are a part of is The Plan of Happiness.

We have been given tools to overcome challenges enabling us to continue exploring the beauties of the earth around us. Enjoy life. We have a divine duct tape that can repair our souls, help us heal and enable us to change and progress. Through Christ’s Atonement, we have an advocate, a Savior, who makes it possible to change and move past mistakes and wrong choices and back onto better paths. His infinite sacrifice makes it possible.

This life is the proving ground for the eternities. We will hit some rocks, snag trees and we may even lose a paddle but it should not and will not stop me from taking in all that I can that is beautiful. 

BWCA, School of Law... Law of the Harvest that is.

In the writing of the renowned C.S. Lewis, he refers to this life as but a shadow of that which is to come. Lewis believed that this life is only the title page of our existential storybook with chapter one starting just after death. This life being but a small moment and testing grounds for that true grand story that awaits.

Last summer I accompanied a group of young men from church to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA).  This 4 day excursion or "Summer School of Life" into a preserved nature area  would teach us the law of nature, including the law of the harvest.  "As a Man Sows, So Shall He Reap."

Like many things in life, the law of the harvest can be whatever we make of it. Our friend or our enemy. The woods are a great place to learn and grow.

A trip with young men like this demands a certain level of focus and preparedness. Understanding this can be critical to trip success and even safety.

image from 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boundary_Waters_Canoe_Area_Wilderness

Some may say it is in these moments where, "things just got real!"

We worked with the young men on pack lists, skill demonstrations, gear checks, and water safety training. This preparation began 3 months before the trip was to begin. It was quite the undertaking but enjoyable.

We had a range of skills across the group. Some boys knew exactly how to prepare while others requiring extra support. Leadership placed priority on those in that second group to be sure to set them up for success. We provided them the tools they needed.

This preparation doesn't guarantee success or even cover all the potential conditions that we could find up in that rugged land to the north. The other leaders and I worked hard to empower them with a framework of knowledge. This framework would lead to better educated decisions, helping them cultivate their righteous agency.

As leaders of the young men in our congregation, we were hoping to have the trip teach some life lessons and trigger some self-reflection. 

Having to prepare, learning and developing skills, understanding situations and figuring out how to play the cards dealt, perseverance to overcome, the thrill of doing something difficult, and learning to enjoy the journey.

The trip delivered on all accounts.