Teach Your Children to Be Courageous
Almost ten years ago, Ray and I visited Quebec for the first time. That visit changed our lives in many pleasant ways because it increased our interest in my French-Canadian ancestors. We have enjoyed what we have learned and also enjoyed meeting many very distant cousins.
Our first stop was in the Saguenay region, home of the Saguenay Fjord and the Saguenay River. The first experience we had was with costumed locals demonstrating traditional customs. As a novice photographer (especially back then), my camera was on a weird setting, so my pictures aren’t very good. Here are some scenes, some in color and some that I changed to black and white which helps at least a little.
We watched folk dancing.
We tried our hands at a crosscut saw.
We sampled blueberry treats —
blueberry juice . . .
. . . and a blueberry pastry.
We also enjoyed some maple suckers made right in front of us by pouring maple syrup onto ice.
We saw locals dressed as members of First Nations.
We walked around town where we saw this pretty Catholic Church.
We stopped at a soap boutique.
We met this First Nations bear.
We enjoyed seeing local houses . . .
. . . and a stop sign in French.
A highlight was going to a fabulous play about the history of the Saguenay region through the years, including at least one scene about one of its devastating floods.
While looking at art on the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s website a while back, this painting by one of my favorite American artists, Winslow Homer, reminded me of that visit to Quebec and specifically the scene in the play about a Saguenay flood. The title is Shooting the Rapids, Saguenay River.
Shooting the Rapids, Saguenay River
by Winslow Homer, 1905-1910,
courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art,
gift of Charles S. Homer, 1911
According to family stories in the Homer family, a frightening ride down the river’s rapids in remote Quebec inspired this painting. Winslow Homer’s older brother Charles often accompanied him on fishing trips. Charles is sitting in the middle of the boat, holding on to its sides for dear life. When Homer passed away, this painting remained unfinished in his studio.
The painting reminds me of a storm that Jesus encountered on the Sea of Galilee. He and His disciples were crossing the sea when a fierce gale of wind arose. Waves breaking over the boat were filling it with water. The disciples were afraid, but Jesus was asleep on the cushion in the stern.
. . . and they woke Him and said to Him,
“Teacher, do You not care
that we are perishing?”
And He got up and rebuked the wind
and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.”
And the wind died down
and it became perfectly calm.
And He said to them, “Why are you afraid?
Do you still have no faith?”
They became very much afraid
and said to one another,
“Who then is this, that
even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
Mark 4:38b-41
Look at the painting and imagine hearing Jesus say, “Hush, be still.” Imagine then that the river became perfectly calm.
Jesus never said that storms would not come. In fact, He warned us that they would come; but He told us that when they did, we must take courage.
When the time is right, we must teach our children that storms will come, while we also teach them His promise:
“These things I have spoken to you,
so that in Me you may have peace.
In the world you have tribulation,
but take courage;
I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33