Our canoe made a soft scraping sound against the sand as we arrived on the shore of our next portage. Quickly, we jumped out and lifted the canoe slightly, to drag it onto the small beach. We attached our paddles to the inside, and then began to unload. Tony helped me lift my first pack onto my back. His brother, Mike, and our sister-in-law, Wendy, had arrived a few minutes before. Wendy was already loaded up, and heading down the trail. I grabbed a bucket and a folding table, then followed her.
I walked as fast as I could, swatting bugs all the way, as they dug deep into my arms. For the next week, this was our new normal.
As soon as I entered the woods, mosquitoes swarmed all around me. I walked as fast as I could, swatting bugs all the way, as they dug deep into my arms. For the next week, this was our new normal.
We were in the Boundary Waters in northern Minnesota for an eight day canoe trip. The previous day, we had spent the whole afternoon fishing on Lake Polly. It had been sunny yet cool, and I had forgotten to reapply sunscreen. My arms, shoulders, and the tips of my ears had turned a painful shade of pink—but it didn’t deter the bugs.
As I walked down the path, the mosquitos found my ears through my headband. They struck the thin, scorched skin surrounding my cartilage as if to give me another piercing. “I just have to make it to the other side of this portage,” I told myself.
The path went straight for a little while and then curved. Though I couldn’t see Wendy, I could hear her just up ahead. And as I finally began to move my focus away from the bugs, I heard her say,
“Uh-oh.”
“What’s up?” I asked.
“Well, we have some trees down here. It’s pretty bad. You might want to go back and tell the guys before they start bringing the canoes through.” There were four canoes in our entire group. If they were to bring them through all at once, there would be a traffic jam in the wilderness.
“Ok,” I called to her, as I dropped the bucket and folding table. I backtracked until I saw Mike, balancing his canoe on his shoulders, and told him what was going on. Then, after retrieving my stuff, I continued down the path where I came to three pine trees fallen across the trail. All of the trunks were leaning at my waist level, and with the top of one of the trees hanging underneath—there was no option but to climb over.
I threw the bucket and table over the first tree. Then trying to keep my balance with a pack on my back, I jumped over. Just as I was about to think, “How did I get here?”, I landed on a heap of pine boughs, releasing the most wonderful smell, reminiscent of Christmas. Suddenly I was reminded of the beauty of where I was.
This was not the type of trip I would have ever imagined I’d be a part of. Not raised to be an outdoorsy person, spending eight days in the wilderness where you have to paddle whole lakes and trek your stuff through the woods, to a campsite with no running water or bathrooms—would never have been on my bucket list. Let alone, something I’d call a vacation.
Only that trip gave me so much more than any beach vacation ever could. Our days spent on the desolate waters, unplugged us from the stress of life more than anything else ever has. But more importantly, the challenge of portaging and camping without amenities, showed me I was capable of way more than I thought I was.
After our group finished this portage, none of us felt annoyed or defeated. We felt stronger, and closer because of what we accomplished together.
That day, after hurdling over two more trees, I discovered there were more difficult obstacles for us to overcome further down the path. Then, when we reached the next shore, we each had to go back for another load. Surprisingly though, after our group finished this portage, none of us felt annoyed or defeated. We felt stronger, and closer because of what we accomplished together.
For many of us, the season we’re in is not one we would have chosen. The obstacles we are facing and the weight we’re carrying from what is happening in our world—IT’S A LOT. Many of us are “so over it.” Only, if we’re paying attention, we’d see we’re all being stretched in ways we never thought we would be and we’re making our way through. We are stronger than we thought we were, and God is more faithful than we’ve imagined.
Friends, we’re making it through September, in one of the hardest years we’ve collectively ever had.
Where and how do we need to celebrate this?
Also, what strengths have you discovered about yourself during this season?
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