Our sailing trip had taken us nearly 20 miles in a few hours. We were sailing South along the coast of Lake Michigan, with a storm chasing us. Up until this point it was a pleasurable cruise- but as the storm caught up, my panic quickly increased. I can't say that I am a sailor, I am not. Although I am quickly learning the ropes (or lines, har! har! har!), I've a long way to go, and had just learned points of sail before the adventure. Had something gone wrong and we lost the captain, I would be lost at what to do. I felt like more of a liability than a help this trip.
I imagined the storm was going to hit us harder than it did. In my mind we were going to face torrential down pours, 20 foot waves and 50 MPH wind gusts. I imagined dense clouds engulfing our boat, causing a black out with lightening strikes in every direction. What i've learned is that I need to stop watching so many movies. :)
We did get wet, but not too wet. It was mostly a mildly annoying rain. In addition to it, I placed myself in the cockpit, refusing to move even though I was getting dripped on by the boom above my head. The waves were calm. I don't think they ever got above 1 1/2 - 2 feet the entire trip. This storm didn't bring any wind. It seemed to have sucked it away like a vacuum leaving us to bob a few miles from the shore line. We reached all of 1.5 knots!
As we are watching the storm progress South of us, and my fears begin to subside, not 100 yards port lightening strikes the water. That moment will be etched in my memory for life.
The lightening bolt came down and zig zagged upwards on a slight angle. where it hit the water, there was a blue circular halo that formed at the base of the bolt. The crack it made is indescribable. Think of the loudest thing you can, times it by 1000 and you may be close. What's impressive is out on the open water, the thunder has nothing to absorb the sound. It was kind of like a CRACK, then an echo of sound waves that hit you and passed.
It's an indescribable experience and I imagine that the power behind one bolt is only not even a fraction of the power of God. Who could ever comprehend His power, if we wilt at a fraction of what he's capable of doing?! And He takes that power and turns it to love for us, using it to work out His perfect plan. HOW could we ever deny saying "Lord, send me." If He is for us, who could be against us?
