Peace Be Choppy - On The Wild Side of the Water

It was supposed to stop blowing.

The local vernacular is to call it a "three day blow". The marine forcast said it was going to die down. But this morning was day FOUR and it was windier than it has been the last three.

Kristyn, Abby and Zachary were to arrive mid morning at the marina. And I was to bring the boat to fetch them.

I LOVE driving our boat! It's an adrenaline rush of fresh air and power mixed with the stark beauty of the 30,000 Islands, upon one of which sits our cottage. Hence the need for fetching.

Which I LOVE to do ---- IF it's not so blowy!

There's this one stretch in particular that's across the open, and you really have to know how to manage the waves on a day like today. Which I can do. But add the precious cargo of your grandchildren and suddenly I'm feeling rather nervous.

The ride into the marina was seriously rough enough for me to decide to use "the back way" home. It's not a route we use often because it's scattered with random shoals. As well, it opens up again on the other side with a narrow passage known menancingly as Hell's Gate, so named because the narrowness is enhanced by more but larger random shoals.

I love the marina reunions. Someone you love has made it to the dock. Happy hellos, and this morning, a non-stop smile from Abby, waving, as I got out of the boat and came up the ramp for a knock Gramma over hug.

We loaded the boat carefully, and I warned Kristyn to prepare for a rough ride. And prayed simply, "Lord, please take my babies safely to the cottage".

The back channels between the marina and the main channel were bad enough. Worse, I thought, than coming in, although it did help a bit to be going straight into the waves now. But the main channel was as rough as I've ever seen it. Large boats, less intimidated by the waves but still requiring some speed to out manouvre the wind, were adding to the churn. I had to make a tricky break for it, over the wake of one bigger boat in order to get into the channel that would take us into the back way.

As soon as we came around into it, the difference was immediate. While still blowy, there was way less buffet factor. I breathed in big, and settled myself for a slightly more relaxed ride.

That's when we ran out of gas.

It's okay. We had a second tank, and I knew how to switch connectors. We were on our way again in less than 5 minutes. But here's the thing. To have had to do that 30 seconds earlier when we were in the throes of the chop of the main channel would have been extremely precarious. As it was, we had a sheltered spot for the change over. Couldn't have been timed more perfectly.

On our way now through the back way. Do I recognize where I am? Think so. Yup. There's that set of shoals. Stay out and around until you get past them. Then cut into shore and stay close to avoid that other set. The wind is still strong in here. I can't imagine the waves out in the open stretch now!!!

Hell's Gate is right in front of us. To the right I see two fine young men on their dock. Good. If I hit a rock and am dead on the water, help is not far away. We proceed.

The trick to Hell's Gate is that you have to go through fast enough to keep you from being pushed against the rocks on your port side while all the time avoiding the hidden rocks on your starboard.

I didn't. Avoid the rocks on the right, that is. I heard the thud and waited for the motor to stop being able to move us forward, fully expecting the propellor to be toasted.

Kristyn looked at me. We were still going!!! I pushed the lever down and pressed us through the last stretch.

For those last few minutes of this wild ride I joked with God about wishing I could just say "Peace be still" and slide home on glass. And then I was reminded. "Peace is about the presence of God, not the absence of trouble."

Oh yeah. It's what I'm preaching on this coming Sunday morning at Cognashene Community Church. "And this will be a place of peace," God says through the prophet Haggai to a people facing a huge project with little resources and some neighbouring enemies ready to thwart their efforts. I'm going to talk about the powerful presence and fierce gentleness and wild love of the God Who's right there, even when waves are choppy.

I fully believe God was in our boat today. He pushed the gas through the lines until we were in a more sheltered spot. He held His hand between the rock and our propellor. He answered the prayer I uttered as I started up the boat to begin the wild adventure that was our ride back to the cottage.

It's peaceful now. Babies are asleep and Kristyn is relaxing in her cottage puzzle ritual. Tea is brewed.

And the wind has died down.

Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network