The Blessing Of A Long Portage
God Breathes Joy Into A Hope-Starved World
by Eric Elkin
“”Jesus looked up and saw the large crowd coming toward him. He asked Philip, “Where will we buy food to feed these people?” ”
There was a traffic jam at the Eastern entrance to the Tuscarora Portage in the Boundary Water Canoe Area. Five different groups of people all approached the access point at the same time. The mass of bodies and equipment trying to navigate a small area made the scene tense.
Two experienced canoers jumped through the transition point quickly. They were clearly ticked off by the situation. People typically come to this wilderness area to be alone, to escape human congestion. So the bottleneck of bodies, canoes, and equipment was straining everyone’s sense of peace.
A portage is an ancient trail forged by native people. These trails connect two different lakes and allow people to travel great distances in canoes. This particular portage was long, rocky, and hilly. To get the gear where it needed to go would require strength, endurance, and determination. No one said it, but you could feel people wondering how this job would get done.
Challenges make a long canoe trip valuable. Working together binds even the most connected people closer together. Successfully conquering a challenge builds confidence and produces an overwhelming sense of joy. And, this is what happened that day at the Tuscarora Portage.
“If we can change our priorities, achieve balance and understanding in our roles as human beings in a complex world, the coming era can well be that of a richer civilization, not its end.”
The group that experienced the most incredible sense of joy included several junior high youths. None of the children had the strength to move a large amount of equipment any great distance. Yet, every time they passed us on the trail, the children were singing and laughing. They spoke words of encouragement to all laboring on the journey.
Later I discovered the group leaders incorporated an old portage practice. They broke the trail up into shorter segments. The children would carry gear a third of the way and set it down. Then go back to the beginning and carry the next load. This allowed them to move gear and rest at the same time while never over-extending their abilities. One of the leaders in that group had listened to some ancient words of wisdom to find hope.
I thought about that in today’s reading when Jesus asks the question, “Where will we buy food to feed these people?” Philip misses the point. He assesses how much it will take and not the source of blessing. If Philip had chosen to remember the ancient words of wisdom, he would have remembered Moses. The appropriate answer was God provides food in the wilderness.
This is the wisdom for the day. You may not be traveling in the BWCA, but I bet many of you are facing a challenge. Open your hearts and hear the words of ancient wisdom. In every wilderness of despair, God provides abundance and healing. Those who listen discover God breathes joy into the most hope-starved situations.
Click to read Ezekiel 17: 22-24
Reflection Questions:
When have you faced a challenge you felt too overwhelming?
Were you able to navigate a solution? If so, how? If not, what stood in your way?
When have you experienced the presence of God during a difficult situation?
How can God feed you on your journey this day?
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