One of my favorite ways to conduct a boat visit is to ride along with a boat store delivery. Larry Barnes and his two crews from Barnes Boat Store know the impact of SCI’s ministry on mariners and always welcome SCI Chaplains to ride along with their grocery deliveries. After meeting with the Barnes crew in Metropolis, IL, we loaded up groceries to catch a line boat passing through the area. As they unloaded the groceries with the crew’s help, I met with the captain in the wheelhouse and we chatted about how he and the crew were doing. These conversations are always helpful for the mariners, and such visits also spread the word about SCI Chaplaincy, serving as a reminder that we are always there for them.

On this visit, after unloading the groceries, I made my way back down through the hatches and ladder wells to the store’s boat. While passing through the galley, I was stopped by the cook, and she asked me if I could pray for her. I said, “Of course. Is there something specific you would like me to pray for?” She told me she had fallen a few days earlier, and her knee and hip were still in pain. Taking her hand and placing my other hand on her shoulder, I prayed for her right there in the galley. When I was done, I looked up and noticed three crew members also in the galley with their heads bowed and hats in hand. Boat crews are like family and I could tell they were moved by the experience. I was moved, too. They all thanked me for the prayer and visit as I was leaving.

This boat visit was written in the report as a “routine,” but I think it was more than that. It was meaningful; I felt blessed by the experience. If I had not been out there, I never would have had the opportunity to connect and share God’s love with this dear cook and crew.

Crises responses, ceremonial invocations, worship services, and mariner training, just to name a few, are all important roles we play. But this routine boat visit, like many such visits we do throughout the year, served to lift spirits and highlight our ministry of presence. A seemingly modest meeting with mariners passing through can play an essential role in our Chaplaincy on the rivers and Gulf.