The Story Behind Waters of Rest

I (Cathleen) grew up going to a YMCA family camp, camping in the Boundary Waters with my family, and then working at camps near the Boundary Waters. In high school, I heard about Jesus and read in the Bible that He loves us and died so we might live! This revolutionized my time in the wilderness to be about fellowship with our Creator and Savior. In college, guiding Boundary Waters trips, I experienced God shepherd His people as our guided. This instilled in me a love for God as our guide and wilderness tripping gave a place to experience God in the joys and trials of life. Later, after twenty years of teaching high school math, I started Waters of Rest to offer Christ-centered wilderness trips to adults. May this be a place where we see our own stories, God’s story, and Christ drawing near to us in this beautiful and broken world.

I invite you on a BWCA trip (or a Wilderness Walk). Come and see!

The Name Waters of Rest

Psalm 23 has been a significant Psalm to read in the wilderness. The imagery of the Psalm and the depths of truth it shows us about God are incredible.

The Lord is My shepherd
I shall not want
He makes me lie down in green pasture
He leads me beside quiet waters
He restores my soul

The original Hebrew for “quiet waters” is “waters of rest” (see footnote on the ESV Bible, if you don’t know Hebrew, which I don’t). Though the waters in the Boundary Waters are not alway like glass, they are sometimes. And even when the waters rage or roar, God Himself is the “quiet waters” or “waters of rest” our souls long for and have access to in Christ.

The Hope of Waters of Rest

My hope is that through these trips you may experience more of God yourself. The trips are set up to prepare you to enjoy the beauty of God’s creation, the truth of His Word, adventure, teamwork, and time away from technology and work. On this trip we will work: gathering water, setting up camp, paddling, and portaging. We will also rest: daily quiet time, siesta, swimming, naps, and team discussion.

The opportunity is here, and you have to take the step to go out of your comfort zone, away from our tendency to live for self, and to be part of a group who will live, eat, work, play, worship, and think critically together in the wilderness. The hope is that through this time apart, away, and set apart we meet with God, listen to Him, and see Him in ways that will change us as we go back to our homes.

When we get home we still get to seek God, with the joy of knowing Him in the wilderness: having watched Him guide us, protect us, strengthen us, and refresh us. The God who made the heavens and earth has drawn near to us in Christ.