OnFire #110 Canoe Lessons

Hi Folks:

I'm back from my canoe trip on the weekend. If you check the website (www.onfireletter.com) you'll find some pictures there of the trip. I'll have some on the church website later (www3.ns.sympatico.ca/shelburnebapt/SBC).

We are well. The boys are getting excited about the end of the school year. Next week Ian will find out how many exams he will have to write. Mark's speed stacking competition will finally happen Friday. He's been practising hard so we hope he'll be rewarded with good results. Both boys have been involved in science olympics in the last week or so. These are contests between teams of students which involve problem solving using applied science. Only a few were chosen from each grade, and they have never gone before, so that was exciting for them.

Blessings for your week.

Troy

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Romans 12:2 "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will."*

I spent about 22 hours this past weekend either in my canoe, carrying my canoe, or carrying gear. We had a group of twelve men on a weekend trip. Friday we canoed, Saturday we fished, and Sunday we travelled out again by coming down a river. We covered more than 28 km (22 mi).

We had a great time, but the trip was a lot harder than I thought it would be. The carries were tough. The river was hard to run. And it all took a lot longer than I anticipated.

Before the trip I was used to flat water canoeing. Smooth lakes. Steering the boat to where I want it to go. Paddling, not carrying. What I found on the trip was a boat hard to paddle because of weight, rivers so rocky it was impossible to run them without fetching up countless times, river currents pushing us where we didn't want to go, unseen rocks stopping our progress.

To make the trip required a new way of thinking about gear, carries, and handling the boat. You can be sure that on my next trip I will take a lot less gear. I won't try to be so macho on the carries. And I won't try to ram the canoe over rocks on the river.

Just as I'm learning new ways to think about canoe trips, I also have to learn new ways of thinking about my life as a Christian. Even though I asked Jesus to come into my life, not all of my character was transformed. There are still parts which do not align with what God wants for me, and so I have to retrain my mind.

My thoughts and behaviours are affected by 1) the world around me, which often goes contrary to the way God wants things, and by 2) years of conditioning. I have to unlearn old ways of doing things to take on God's way of doing things. This is what it means to retrain, or renew, my mind.

Sometimes we wonder why we can't get a handle on what God wants. Sometimes we question why we don't feel closer to God. At least part of the answer is found in this passage. Unless we renew and retrain our minds into Godly patterns, we cannot grow closer to God to understand his will for us.

Any issue or area which keeps us from growing closer to God needs to be renewed. The urge to get even when I think someone slights me or my family. Impure thoughts. Smiling on the outside while thinking something else. Wanting to use anger so things will go my way. The fear of stepping in faith. Jealousy. Fear of offending someone. Wanting to please people. Holding onto hurts and offences. Wanting to be in control of my life. Not wanting to sacrifice myself. Not wanting to rely on God.

These are some of the things that keep me from knowing and doing God's will. They prevent me from drawing as close to Jesus as I could. They are my issues, your issues might be different. Whatever they are, the issues are areas where we need to renew our minds.

I used to be a small craft safety instructor. I thought I knew something about canoeing. This weekend I learned a lot because I went through some experiences that showed me how I was lacking. Life has a way of showing us where we need improvement in our character. We can use these opportunities to renew our minds and work on the kind of character God wants us to have.

I hope this helps. Be on fire.

Troy

ON FIRE is a weekly letter of encouragement by Troy Dennis.. To be added to or removed from the ON FIRE list contact him at onfire@eastlink.ca This letter published June 12, 2007.