Our Scripture reading today is Mark 6:53-56.
[53] When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and moored the boat. [54] As soon as they got out of the boat, the people recognized Jesus [55] and ran through that whole region, carrying the sick on mats to wherever they heard He was. [56] And wherever He went—villages and towns and countrysides—they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged Him just to let them touch the fringe of His cloak. And all who touched Him were healed.
In 1871, a forest fire in Wisconsin destroyed 1.2 million acres of timber. To give you an idea of how big this fire was, the entire state of Rhode Island is smaller. Imagine a whole state burning, even a small state. The fire killed around 2,000 people. When investigators traced the cause, they found that it was caused by a careless camper who failed to completely put out his campfire.
I thought of this because of something in today’s reading. Jesus and the disciples were doing exciting work, great work. They were healing people and preaching. Everywhere they went, people took their sick out to meet him so he could heal them. I’ve never done work that significant in my life. I’m sure you feel the same way. However, it was not the great work that reminded me of this terrible forest fire. It was the little thing that they did before they went on the healing tour.
Notice verse 52, “When they had crossed over, they landed and moored the boat.” Even though they had a great work to do, they first moored the boat, they tied off the boat to keep it from drifting away. They took care of the little details of daily living before they tackled the great job of the day.
This great forest fire that killed so many people was started because someone did not “moor their boat,” that is, take care of the small details.
This little detail touched me because I often forget the small details.
As the poet said,
Little drops of water,
Little grains of sand,
Make the mighty ocean
And the pleasant land.
Greatness or failure seldom comes from the big moments in life but rather from the little things we do or don’t do: put out the fire, make your bed, say your prayers, read your Bible, and moor your boat.
Even Jesus and his companions moored their boat. Today, moor your boat, and tomorrow will be better.
You will be better.
Lonnie Davis