Pastor Ruth had never been in a boat before. Having never learned to swim, she was reluctant to put herself into a dangerous situation, but since she was on an adventure in Chile she decided to give it a try. I, on the other hand, have been in a few boats before, but I can’t say that I’m an excellent navigator. Always up for an adventure, I thought it would be great to go when our Mapuche host, Patty, offered to take us out in her rowboat around the island that sat in the lake right next to her house. It was one of those once in a lifetime, unforgettable joy moments that would have been a sin to pass up. The water was crystal clear; a deep aqua blue that mirrored the surrounding landscape in precise detail. The only sounds we heard were the chirping birds and the swoosh of Patty’s wooden paddles. Surrounded on all sides by God’s beautiful creation, we became part of the natural masterpiece. We would have missed a significant memory had we decided not to get into the boat.

Later that evening as Ruth and I were getting ready for bed we were reminded of Peter’s boat story while we reflected on why she got into the boat. Although Peter got out of the boat, his comfort zone, to walk with Jesus, Ruth’s challenge was to get into the boat. She realized that even if she fell out of the boat and wasn’t capable of saving herself, she trusted that Patty knew what she was doing and that I would be there to help her. Our presence in the boat gave her confidence to risk and overcome a lifelong fear. We incarnated the presence of Christ for her so that she could experience more beauty than she imagined possible.

This Chilean memory serves as a constant reminder to me of the importance of having God’s people alongside of us to help us find the courage to explore new territory in our lives and ministries. There will be others along the way who have more experience than we do, like Patty, who can offer new knowledge and skills to make the adventure possible. We need to look for and cultivate relationships with others in the Body of Christ who can add more to what God wants to give us than we can achieve on our own. It also affirms my own call to be in the boat and encourage others in the greater adventure of life and ministry to which God is calling them. At times we all face challenges that scare us, but when we realize we’re all in the same boat, we can have the courage to explore, thus experiencing more beauty than we could ever hope to imagine.