First Baptist Church on Littleton Common    

Scratches, Patches and Scars

Matthew 6:24-34

James 1: 2-5

A few weeks ago, my physician, Dr. Peter Johns here in Littleton, shared a story with me that he gave me permission to share it with you this morning

It is a story from his college days and it takes place on a creek under Grand Father Mountain in North Carolina, which is the highest peak in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.   

I’ll share it with you in his voice….

It was a snowy and icy January in North Carolina  when two of my good friends, Richard Ward and Dave Millsaps and I left from Durham, North Carolina and Duke University for a break.  We made our way down through Grandfather Mountain to a river called Wilson’s Creek, a river that flows into Wilson’s Gorge and we had our kayaks in tow.   I had with me a brand new kayak, one that I had built myself, crafting it together from top and bottom pieces that had been popped from the fiberglass mold of a Perception kayak.  It was beautiful kayak.     

The water was cold and icy, and so Rich, Dave and I wearing our wetsuits, life jackets and helmets, had to chop our way through the ice that was bordering alongside the river to get to the put-in at Wilson’s Creek.   I started out in my kayak, maneuvered a couple of the rapids well then went over and rolled myself back upright with some effort.  I continued on and rolled over a second time and this time tried to right myself valiantly – but failed.   I came out of my boat and pulled it to the shore.  Still with no worries, although a little tired, I got right back into it and proceeded down the river which I now respected even more.   I went through several more rapids successfully until I banged smack into a rock with a pretty powerful force.   I capsized again however this time it had broken the boat.   As hard as I tried and with all my strength – I could not right myself.   My head was bouncing off rocks (thank goodness for the helmet) and I was alright but my pride was pretty bruised.     I got out of the boat and floated on my back with the boat in front of me, down through several more rapids, making my way towards the shore.  I dragged myself into an eddy with the boat in tow.  Now up on the shore, I was able to inspect the boat and I could see the damage that the run in with the rock had done to my new kayak.   I was cold and tired and pretty well spent.   But I scrambled my way out of the river, trudged up a very steep embankment covered with snow and ice, brambles and stone, all while pulling my kayak behind me.   The 50 foot trek uphill seemed to take forever, but I finally made it to the edge of the road above. 

As I sat there in my wetsuit, inspecting the damage to the boat, I looked up to see a North Carolina mountain man who appeared to be missing a few teeth, leaning against the front bumper of a very old looking pick-up truck.   He was chewing tobacco, spitting on the ground and watching me – as I had struggled up the hill with the kayak.   I looked up at him and we made eye contact which we held for several long minutes.   Inside I was thinking “why didn’t you offer any help” when he looked at me, as if he knew what I was thinking and said “canoe with no scratches on it – hasn’t been anywhere.” 

Our eye contact still held and a sense of contentment or understanding washed over me – and I knew that this simple and common mountain man was in fact wiser and more worldly than I was and that I could learn a great deal from him.  When friends Richard and Dave caught up with me, all four of us sat down for awhile, talking, laughing, sharing a few drinks and exchanging bits of wisdom. 

 I have told this story over and over.  The kayak with all its scratches hangs to this day, from the roof of my garage, to remind me of its importance and the lesson - which never loses it meaning and the impact that it had on me and my life. [1]   

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An unexpected lesson from a wise man that crossed his path:  “a canoe with no scratches on it – hasn’t been anywhere.” 

How many times have we felt that our emotional, physical or our spiritual selves were damaged by the tough, or hard or tragic experiences in our lives?  How often do we let ourselves feel like a failure, or feel imperfect or flawed?   How many times do we feel that same frustration rising from deep within our gut or have a wave of exhaustion come from our body which makes us feel like we just want to give up, go and hide under the covers of our bed.   The story reminds us though that those scratches, patches and scars that we carry on us and deep within our hearts - show us that we have persevered, we have not given up, or chosen to hide away in life, risk nothing and play it safe.  We are here this morning – and that means that each one of us posses an inner fortitude to keep going when the turbulent waters try to pull us under.  We can right ourselves and keep going.    I have quoted Peter Gomes often and he reminds us that fortitude is the “fuel of the long-distance moral runner who despite inner fatigue and the apparent outward success of others, nevertheless keeps on keeping on.” [2]

“A canoe with no scratches on it – hasn’t been anywhere.”  

The scripture verses from James 1: 2-5 reminds us that we grow into wisdom and it doesn’t always come easy.  Usually we learn our greatest lessons – from the experiences in our lives that are the hardest.   If we persevere, remain faithful and always hopeful – then we will discover a maturity and a wisdom that will bring us clarity, resolve and new direction.

James says:  Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to them. 

I am not so sure about the part where we are supposed to “consider our trials pure joy.”  Sometimes it takes awhile for our deep wounds to heal to that point where we can say we learned something from it.   Open wounds are painful.  A patched wound feels a little bit better.  And a healed wound means we’ve persevered and stayed the course.    However all of our wounds do leave behind some kind of mark on us.  Hopefully those marks are not those of frustration or anger.  Each of us will have to decide if they are marks we can learn from.

The part from this scripture passage that I am sure of is that learning often takes time and that God is with us through it all.     “Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”   Hindsight is a good teacher.   I am also confident in the generosity of God – who promises to be with us without finding faults.  Sometimes we are harder on ourselves than God is. 

We can have those generous moments from God – those “ah-ha” moments where understanding washes over us and we glean the insight or lesson.  They often have to do with the mixed up priorities in our lives.   It is easy in our glitzy, televised, supersized culture to mix up our priorities.   We think that it is important to have “perfect canoes” rather than have a great run down the river and have that great story and experience to share.   We think it is more important to work furiously than to work carefully or work well and with satisfaction.  We think it is more important to have a perfect house than have a place called home.  It’s so easy to get our priorities mixed up in life and that is what the scripture from Matthew is about as well.  

This scripture Matthew is a beautiful passage and it is rich with many lessons to be learned.  But for today – it is simply a passage about getting our priorities straight and not worrying.  Here Jesus reminds us to put our life in the hands of a gracious and loving God who knows all our needs and who promises to take care of us.   Seek first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness and all these things – will be added to you as well.   Seek first the Kingdom of God – and your priorities will fall into place. 

One of the other things that I love about the story that Dr. Johns graciously shared is that he chose to learn something from his kayak run.   He was getting tired and frustrated and angry at himself.   He could have dragged that kayak up the hill and just left – towing with him a memory of a river run that was a failure.  But he didn’t – because in that moment that he looked up and slowed down – he met a very wise person and he was able to receive that nugget of wisdom with a sense of understanding that changed his experience and has inspired him to this day.   And he shares it with others – and in that sense I am sure that he has become the wise old man leaning against the front of the pickup truck – helping someone else.    This is a good reminder to us – in our moments of frustration and anger to stop, slow down and seek the kingdom of God that is amongst us right now -  because who knows where that wise man or wise woman might be learning back watching and ready to share.    We would hate to miss that if our frustration or anger so overwhelmed us that we couldn’t see very clearly. 

“A canoe with no scratches on it – hasn’t been anywhere.” 

Ask Jon Lester if that isn’t true as well.  We have had a number of wise men cross our path this week.   Jon Lester, is a 24 year old who pitched a no hitter for the Red Sox this week, two years after he was diagnosed with cancer.  Jon Lester knows a thing about perseverance and fortitude because the scratches and patches of his life have made him stronger.  

And this past week we have also heard and seen another story of a man and a boat.  And this man knows a thing about fortitude and perseverance as well. 

Senator Ted Kennedy has lived a life with way too many scratches, patches and scars for one person to have endured.  He has however not only endured those turbulent waters – but he still chooses to keep on living.  We don’t have to recount the countless tragedies that have befallen the Kennedy family – but with each one – Ted Kennedy chose to keep on living , keep on preserving and working in a way that has transcended all the ideological and political differences that we keep imagining are so important.    We have heard countless testimonies and stories about his character from politicians on each side of the aisle, as well as stories from the common man or woman.   We have heard the news stories about his seizures, his hospitalization, and the aggressive and malignant tumor that he has.   But instead of hunkering down and waiting to die – he has chosen to live!   We have seen him leave the hospital, return to Hyannis and get out on his sailboat in the harbor with his wife, his family and his dogs.   His past trials have made him stronger, so that know even in the face of death - he has chosen to keep on living each moment of his life with courage and with strength.   The scratches, patches and scars of his life have made him a strong person who has lived a faithful and abundant life. 

These stories and these scriptures are all gifts of encouragement for each of us in the midst of our own rocky or frustrating or scary times.   Each morning when we wake up, we are given a new day and a choice about how we will live that day.    May you continue to discover the grace of a loving God who is with you when you are wounded and you promises to carry you in faith – a faith that can bring you deep joy and wisdom – every time you say “yes” to life and choose to go out and get in the boat. 

Amen.

Rev. Deborah J. Blanchard