Here's how our loving God worked through a terrifying event this summer...
Several members of our family took a canoe trip to the Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness. It's called "wilderness" because you are basically out in the middle of nowhere. It's called Boundary Waters, because it's between Minnesota and Canada. And it's beautiful as you can see.
We had a great time camping and fishing. We stayed on one lake - Brule Lake. It's real nice and means no portaging (carrying canoes and all your gear over land between two lakes) and because of that we can bring more creature comforts. Yet because it's the boundary waters, it's still very much wilderness.
On our last full day, we took a day trip and did some easy portages and saw 3 or 4 lakes. After a long day of canoeing, we were on the way back to the island with our camp site and had to cross the largest section of Brule.
The wind had picked up considerably and we were fighting waves and wind. We did our best to stay perpendicular to the waves, but the wind caught our bow and we got sideways and my brother-in-law and I were in the water. We tipped our canoe!
It wasn't so bad - a little cold. It was about 4 in the afternoon, so we had plenty of light and plenty of time to remedy our situation. However, my brother-in-law went into shock and began shaking uncontrollably. I was afraid he was experiencing hypothermia as well.
The other canoe with my son, his wife Pamela and my daughter Amy came to help us, but it took them about 45 minutes to come just 50 yards because of the wind and waves (swells by this time).
Amy tells how things were going inside their canoe,"Well, we were doing everything we could to get over to dad and uncle Rich. Everytime we made a little progress the wind and the waves pushed us back some more. I heard David crying out to God for help. 'God, pleeeease help. I can't do this any more.' then after we finally got to the guys and started back to shore, I saw a 180 degree change in David's praying. He started quoting some Psalms out loud and praising God. All of a sudden, even though we were exhausted, we had new strength. It's as if my arms quit and Jesus' took over!"
When they finally got to us, they tried to tow the two of us and the canoe against the waves and decided that just wasn't going to work. So we went with the wind, let the canoe go and headed to a shore much further, but less hassle.
About an hour or more later, we drifted onto an island and got us all safely on shore and got some dry clothes on my brother-in-law. But now we had 5 of us and one canoe. So, we left David and Pamela on the island, Amy and I needed to get Rich back to camp and warmed up.
Dave told me that after we left and he and Pamela were there on the island alone, they just collapsed into each others arms and wept.
The waves had settled down a little and we made it to camp safely. Amy got a fire started and Rich and I got dry clothes on. Now Amy and I had to head back for Dave and Pamela.
Another trip across the lake and we got to them without any trouble - and lo and behold, the abandoned canoe had come ashore pretty close by. Dave and I got it righted and back to the island where all our day-trip stuff was ashore. Things were definitely looking up!
Then, just as the first canoe got their half of the stuff loaded, we heard distant rumbling - a storm was coming in!
It still sounded pretty far away and we didn't want to spend the night on this tiny island with no gear, so we decided to head out. I sent David and Amy in that first canoe while Pamela and I got the rest of the stuff in our canoe and then we headed out - about 100 yards behind them.
I just started praying, "Lord, please don't let us get hit by lightning!" We paddled our hearts out to get back across the lake.
Then it started raining. Just little drops at first. It was actually kind of calming. But then the rain began coming down harder. The sky was getting darker and darker. Usually, sunset is around 10:30 or 11:00 in the boundary waters, but it was probably 8:00 and it was pitch black.
I prayed, "Lord, you calmed the sea of Galilee, You can certainly make this one blow past. Please help us here Lord and protect us."
God, being God decided that rather than deliver us from the storm, He was going to deliver us through the storm!
Suddenly, the rain came down in buckets. Not only did I lose sight of David and Amy, I couldn't even see Pamela at the bow of the canoe! Then the hail began to pummel us relentlessly!"Keep paddling, Pamela! Keep paddling!"
"Lord, please help us!"
Out of nowhere, the wind picked up the water like a blanket and shook us right out of the canoe - again! Now Pamela and I are in the water.
By this time it was pitch black. Loud claps of thunder immediately followed the lightening! The waves were enormous! The rain poured down so hard we couldn't see shore or even our canoe!Fortunately, Pamela and I both still had our paddles and we were close enough to come together and both held onto both paddles to ride it out together.
After about 10 minutes the rain let up enough so that we could see our canoe and we doggy paddled over and held on for dear life.
This whole time, the constant refrain on my lips was, "God, you are good. Thank you Lord, that you are good. You could deliver us from this at any moment, but for some reason you have us in this. Thank you that you know exactly what you are doing and you are good."
I don't know why. I wasn't trying to make myself think that - it was just the comfort that He brought to my mind and I was able to hold onto that and be an encouragement to my young daughter-in-law.
Finally we came to shore (who knows where!) and I pulled the canoe up and we got under it for shelter from the cold rain and wind. I was concerned that we might go into hypothermia!
We prayed together for David and Amy. Anxiety filled our minds: Did they make it? Were they tossed overboard, too? Were they together like we were or did they get separated? Were they alright? "Lord, we entrust them to Your good hands. Help them to know that we're in Your hands." Peace that defies logic calmed our hearts.
Later we found out that David and Amy had just reached the camp site when the hardest part of the storm had hit. They had to pull the canoe ashore in the woods, because they couldn't fight the waves to the actual campsite. But there they were - safe and sound! they feared for us and committed us into God's hands. David wondered if he had lost his dad and his wife of less than a year.
After about 20 - 30 minutes, the rain and wind calmed down. This was it. Do we make a break for it - or stay here all night? We decided to go. We got the canoe into the water and headed in the direction that we thought the camp was. It was still dark - would we be able to find our way to the island where our camp was located?
Just a minute or two of paddling and we came around a point - and there was the camp! They had a lantern out on a point for us to find our way back. We were actually ashore on our island, but didn't know it. We paddled and cheered and praised God!
God you are so good!
Just as we got to shore, the rain started up again. After a jubilant reunion, we all decided to forgo dinner, get into dry clothes and call it a night. Amy and I laughed and cried and laughed some more as we recounted everything that happened.
The next morning we packed our gear and headed for home. Here's our cheery photo when we reached the staging area:
Here's the photo of how we actually felt inside:
Anyway, that was our adventure. I'm hoping to still get back to the BWCAW. But hopefully, no more scary lessons!
God you are so good!
