A "good canoe" life lesson learned and shared by Pastor Rob:
Hundreds of trips around Disney's Tom Sawyer's Island in the Florida heat with a paddle in hand was certain to teach me something... In high school and college, I worked on the Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes in Walt Disney World's Frontierland. After countless trips in the bow telling jokes, or in the stern steering, and always in a coonskin cap, I began to recognize phases in a canoer's summer.
At times, in what I came to call Bad Canoe Mode, a canoer could have one grump in one boat ruin an entire day. At other times, a canoer might need just one person who laughed and had a great time to make the entire day a good one - Good Canoe Mode. These recognitions caused me to try and remain in Good Canoe Mode as much as possible. Each day I looked for that one person, one smile or laugh, to make it a good day. Expecting to encounter that one person made it certain that I would.
Good Canoe Mode remains a bit of a (theological) life philosophy for me. God gives each of us so many blessings each day, and this is true no matter our circumstances. Every day can be good if we expect to encounter that one person, one smile, a cool breeze, a song, or a ray of warm sunlight. Bad Canoe Mode is a sad and dark way of existence (if it even is existing). Good Canoe Mode puts us in the right frame of mind to experience more joy, more of the Holy Spirit.
It is additionally joyful to remember how each of us, each day, can BE that one smile, that one comment, that one beam of light that lifts someone else's day. Life is better and more Christ-like when we are in Good Canoe Mode and when we are encouraging Good Canoe feelings in others. Paddle it forward!
Hundreds of trips around Disney's Tom Sawyer's Island in the Florida heat with a paddle in hand was certain to teach me something... In high school and college, I worked on the Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes in Walt Disney World's Frontierland. After countless trips in the bow telling jokes, or in the stern steering, and always in a coonskin cap, I began to recognize phases in a canoer's summer.
At times, in what I came to call Bad Canoe Mode, a canoer could have one grump in one boat ruin an entire day. At other times, a canoer might need just one person who laughed and had a great time to make the entire day a good one - Good Canoe Mode. These recognitions caused me to try and remain in Good Canoe Mode as much as possible. Each day I looked for that one person, one smile or laugh, to make it a good day. Expecting to encounter that one person made it certain that I would.
Good Canoe Mode remains a bit of a (theological) life philosophy for me. God gives each of us so many blessings each day, and this is true no matter our circumstances. Every day can be good if we expect to encounter that one person, one smile, a cool breeze, a song, or a ray of warm sunlight. Bad Canoe Mode is a sad and dark way of existence (if it even is existing). Good Canoe Mode puts us in the right frame of mind to experience more joy, more of the Holy Spirit.
It is additionally joyful to remember how each of us, each day, can BE that one smile, that one comment, that one beam of light that lifts someone else's day. Life is better and more Christ-like when we are in Good Canoe Mode and when we are encouraging Good Canoe feelings in others. Paddle it forward!