By Chris Bates
As I pulled the drift boat out from the shore through the swift river current, I took in the summer breeze, the mountainscape, and Stacy’s beautiful, beaming smile. We had finally made it to our day on the Montana river. The sky was a majestic blue, the water cold and ultra-clear, and the bright green hues of the trees contrasted with the browns and tans of the river rocks.
We paused before I took the oars to hold hands and say a big prayer of thanks for the journey there, the opportunities, our marriage, and most of all for this very moment. It had been a long time coming, and we shared tears of gratitude and joy. It began one of those extraordinary days that you never forget.
Several months later, on a hot September night, we sat together in my truck, holding hands and saying a very different prayer. We were in the hospital parking lot, noticing only the darkness of the night, with no one else around because of the late hour. Only the nearby streetlight cast its changing colors. My daughter had an unexpectedly crisis-filled, complicated birthing process just hours before, and she and our grandson were being cared for by groups of amazingly gifted providers. We prayed tearfully, trying to surrender fear and begging for God’s mighty hand to be on each of them and their medical providers. The journey ahead would require His strength. It was another moment we’ll never forget.
God knows these moments are coming, though oftentimes we do not. The disciples sat front row to (or participated in) many miraculous and tragic events. They saw Jesus calm a storm, feed thousands with a boy’s lunch, turn water into wine, heal many, and welcome the unlovable. They also experienced dropping their livelihoods abruptly, living as wanted men, denying or abandoning Jesus during His arrest, and grieving His death.
As people, we always experience unexpected moments. We cannot control outcomes and often can only partially control the present, whether in joyfulness or crisis.
Trusting and connecting with God in all that we experience is key. Romans 8:28 reminds us that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” We are not meant to understand, but we are called to faith.
Stacey and I speak in gratitude about that day on the river, and we know that the future holds new joys. My daughter and grandson have been surrounded by countless prayer warriors and highly competent medical care, and the prognoses are showing hope and positive direction. Around the corner, we will begin to better focus on celebrating newness of life, healing, and profoundly thankful moments.
Walking through extreme moments is part of life, and the ripple effect can be that we learn, gain humility, comfort others, and walk as disciples. The Teacher is still teaching, and we are to learn. We are to take each moment and walk ahead better, in faith.
Chris Bates is CEO of AgoraEversole, a full-service marketing agency in Jackson, and can be reached at Chris@AgoraEversole.com. He and his wife, Stacy, live in Madison and have adult children and four grandboys.
