ironic weather and prayer

I've noted that irony as a concept can be difficult to pinpoint - just ask Alanis Morissette. I got out on the lake this morning at 6:15. As I approached the middle of the lake I noticed that the going was pretty easy, but the water seemed a bit choppy. A bit further and I noticed that my hair was blowing forward and the waves were passing me from behind. Generally when a person has only had one good workout on the water - kayaking out with the wind at your back is not such a good idea. By the time I reached the shallows of the mouth of the Red Cedar, I was being blown up river. This seemed great since it was the direction that I was going, but I was pretty sure that I was going to have a tough trip home. I would be circling round, hugging the north shore of the lake. I began to wish that I knew someone on the north shore of the lake. The wind was coming from the northwest and there was going to be little lea along that shore anyway. While blown into the shallows, grounded on the bottom, I did take a few pictures. Having my camera with me makes me a bit hyper about the weather. I isn't an amazingly expensive camera - but since I am completely incapable of replacing it - it doesn't really matter how much it costs.
As I headed out toward the north shore I offered up this prayer - 'Lord, please give me the strength to get back. I don't expect you to cut the wind, it may be that this breeze is part of a weather pattern that is bringing rain to the farmers, and I don't need the wind cut so that I can cross the lake, but please strengthen me.' This attitude in prayer was strongly influenced by reading Yancey's book on prayer, in which he notes that truly persecuted Christians (like in China) do not ask for the persecution to end, just the strength to endure it. While in a America, Christians claim that God has granted them parking spaces when needed. I suppose I didn't need to worry about praying at all - I wasn't in a life-threatening situation. I only 'needed' to be back in time to meet up with family to head off to the Renaissance Faire.
I made it across the lake,with strength to spare. But I couldn't help but notice that as I reached the side of the lake that our cabin in on - the wind completely died down.
I was on the lake from 6:15 until 7:40 and it was windy from 6:30 to 7:30 - maybe I should've prayed for the weather to change. As it was it seemed to be set up to be breezy just for me.




I didn't see the purple flower until I got it on the 'big' screen.


"You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows..." Bob Dylan Subterranean Homesick Blues but I could've used a weatherman to tell that the wind was going to stop blowing so soon.