“Who shut up the sea behind doors
    when it burst forth from the womb,
when I made the clouds its garment
    and wrapped it in thick darkness,
when I fixed limits for it
    and set its doors and bars in place,
when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;
    here is where your proud waves halt’?” – Job 38:8-11

The breeze blowing across the lake

Is no mere breeze

It is wind

I am wearing a sweatshirt and a windbreaker

But really needed a blanket too

The current is strong

With tiny whitecaps as the wind pushes the water

Pulling back my hair

People respect wind and water like this

The boats remain at their docks

Their boat covers snug

Children who came here this week to visit grandparents

To waterski and swim

Are behind the glass windows

Hoping for a change in weather

The neighbor told us that last week it hit 90

Hot enough to swim

But so like the cottage weather

It changes on a dime

The finger lakes carved by glaciers

Even with the current this strong

I can see through the choppy water

To the lake bed

It suits me, this weather

Because I’d rather write than swim

But as I sit here pondering

A large new motorboat thunders past

Its shiny engine working hard

To propel the boat forward

Against the current

The captain waves at me

A polite wave as there are not many people outdoors on this windy morning

His passenger so bundled

I can only see her eyes

Peering out from a hoodie wrapped tight about her face

But apart from that one solitary boat

No other boats ply the water on this windy morning

And it makes me think about limits

How the people who live on the lake

Both those who live here year round

When the thick ice forces them to take in their docks for the winter

And those who come up every year since childhood

Spending a week or three or even the entire summer here

They respect a day like this

They live within the limits of the lake

The limits set by wind and current and temperature

I’d imagine the man in the expensive boat

Might be new to these parts

If his motor were to fail

That boat would have rocked violently

Even on a calm day once the motor stops

The boats are at the mercy of the waves

I see a fisherman a while later

In a stable craft not made for speed

Its motor stopped

Floating and bobbing fast down the center of the lake

Once the wind pushes him towards shore

He will have to start the motor again

To avoid being beached

I’d imagine weather like this is good for fishing

As the man surrenders to the current

Allowing the boat to go where it will

How often have I stood behind glass

Waiting for the weather to change

My plans so important

Not noticing the beauty of the white caps

And the way the wind plays with my hair

Or how often have I motored against the wind

Pulling my boat out anyway

Fighting the current

Afraid to stop

Lest my boat be swamped

But wisdom lay in respecting limits

In adjusting plans

Rather than trying to beat against the current

Or waiting endlessly for a change in weather

So many things we cannot change

Any more than we can change the strength or direction of the wind

Like Jesus told Nicodemus

The wind blows wherever it pleases

It is folly to try and change the things that are

So much energy expended

Trying to change someone’s opinion of me

Or change myself to suit someone else

Both courses are folly

Lord, teach me

To embrace the wind of your Holy Spirit

To line myself up with your will

Instead of beating against the current

Teach me to listen to your still, small voice

Above the loud cacophony of the world

Grant me courage

To come out from behind the glass of my fears

To face each new day as it is

Rather than waiting for the shape of things to change

Help me to see the beauty

And not just the disappointment

There is so much beauty here

The friendships you have given

A husband who loves me well

The joy of simple things

The longing of my heart for more than what this world can ever offer

That too is beautiful

Teach me to number my days aright

That I may gain a heart of wisdom

Rather than pushing against the limits

Of time and age and others’ opinions

Grant me the freedom

To live within limits

To trust the wind of your breath

To know the boundaries have fallen for me

In pleasant places

As I sit here

I can taste the sweetness of the wind

Hear the music of the leaves moving in their gentle choreography

Even the birds right now are sheltering in the branches of trees

The ducks taking refuge near the shore

Help me to remember

How much you love these things that you have made

And how much more

You love me