While on sabbatical this summer, I was able to spend almost a month up on Whidbey Island. A couple of years ago, we acquired a bright yellow two-person kayak, and I took it down to the beach one day along with our black lab, Lucy. I ordered Lucy to stay on the beach, and started paddling out into the water. I hadn’t gotten very far, when I looked back and discovered that Lucy was not staying, but instead swimming persistently after me.

This was not going to do. So I went back in, sat Lucy down by my towel and stuff on the beach and very sternly ordered her to stay…which she is usually quite good at. So I started out again in the kayak. I looked back when I was 10-15 yards out, and saw that she was not staying, but running up and down the beach, barking. I thought to myself, “oh well, that what dogs do,” and kept paddling.

About 50-60 yards out, I looked back once more, and couldn’t see her on the beach anywhere, which didn’t particularly worry me. But then I noticed about 20 yards behind my boat in water, this little black head slowly headed my direction! I had no idea how far Lucy would have gone!

So I went back in, and she followed me to the beach. I was at a little bit of a loss as to what to do. So I finally picked her up, all 60 pounds of her, and just laid her in the front seat of the kayak. I had absolutely no idea how this would work. I headed back out once more, and much to my amazement, Lucy just lay there in the front of the boat like she was the queen of Puget Sound! She was calm and watched the gulls and the ducks like it was the most peaceful thing in the world.

I realized later, that really all Lucy had wanted…was to be with me. That’s all, just to be with me and she would be totally content.

Once Jesus was explaining to a large group a of followers some very hard things. He explained that he was going to die, but that it would be for their sakes, and that it would mean eternity for them. It was a hard word. The story is in John 6, and it says:

From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. “Do you want to leave too?” Jesus asked the twelve.

Simon Peter answered him,

“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the holy one of God.”

I think the twelve realized in that moment that all they could do, all they wanted to do…was be with Him. Just to be with Jesus, and they could be content with that.

I realize as I get older that I can be pretty consumed with activity. I scurry around, juggle things, keep balls up in the air, make appointments, do all sorts of things. All this activity, and I have to admit that at least sometimes, it just means I’m trying to prove myself to somebody. Trying to prove myself to you, or to myself…or to God.

It’s pretty silly, because in my best moments, I know that all I really want is to not have to prove myself at all, but just to be with God. That’s all. Just to be with Him, and I could be content.

So here’s one of the things I’m thankful for today. I’m thankful that we worship a God who likes nothing better than to be with us. I’m thankful that in this gospel story, Jesus looked at those who said, “where would we go?” and said to them:

“Do you know what? I have chosen you.”

The good news of the gospel is that for all our scurrying around, we follow a God who has chosen us, who chooses to be with us. I pray that on this day, each of us might know this contentment in being with Jesus. Just being with Him. Maybe we need to take a walk, or just have some moments of quiet, and perhaps realize that all of our activity ought to flow out of this.

The ministries of compassion and care and feeding and the living out of our faith, and telling people about Jesus is just the result of us being with Him, and knowing that He wants to be with us. Amen.