Lessons from the Amazon Part 2- When we Fall – The Accidental Baptism

I posted the story yesterday about walking the plank. I eluded to the fact that we had one mishap that ended in an accidental baptism. It’s true. One of our precious team members was struggling with his suitcase (I had help with mine) and lost the battle. He fell right into that nasty brown water. It was not over his head and he was able to stand up. He was soaked, along with his clothing and his suitcase. His glasses were gone and his hearing aids were wet. You see, he was the oldest member of our traveling team. He cut his hand trying to grab something for stability on the way down.

When some of our men came to his aid, they offered $20 for anyone that might could find his glasses. Miracle of miracles, his glasses were found in that mucky water. His hearing aids dried out by the next day and actually worked. There are dangers in the water…germs, bacteria, snakes. His hand was definitely a concern and it was cleaned, disinfected, and bandaged every day.

I never will forget the look on his face when he walked onto to boat. He was wet, messy, and obviously shaken. He was cold and shivering. But he didn’t complain. He pulled himself together and carried on. He didn’t miss a step on the trip. He was victorious even though he fell.

Now here’s the point. He stepped out onto that plank bravely and he fell. This happens in life. We try….we fail.  We step out confidently….we fall. The baptism of Bob showed me something beautiful. The journey isn’t over just because we take a tumble. There are dangers all around and we have to constantly clean up and disinfect our thoughts and actions. Falling doesn’t mean failure. We have to get up and pull ourselves together. We have to trust the One who sent us on the road.

Sometimes a little baptism in some murky water can give us a clean start. It’s not how many times we fall. It’s how many times we get up.

God bless you Bob. You are an amazing person.