The parade was canceled. Bad weather -- fierce winds and intermittent rain. It figures. Every other year, the Drake Relays parade has been held on Saturday morning, and Saturday dawned in beauty and held it throughout its daylight. As it turned out, it was a perfect day for the Mayor's Annual Bike Ride, which I and a thousand or so other cyclists winding our way through the neighborhoods of Des Moines happily relished. Unfortunately, the organizers of the parade chose this year, for reasons that I'm sure made good sense at the time, to move the event to Sunday afternoon -- the stormy day that followed Saturday's perfection. The bands, the fans, the bulldogs and floats all went home disappointed.
I'm not suggesting that God loves bicycles more than bands and floats. I'm happy to believe that God loves a good parade as much as the next kid -- and bicycles, as well, for that matter. I'm only observing that one can no more predict when and where lightening might strike than one can predict where the Spirit will strike. Scripture observes, after all, that the Spirit blows where it chooses (John 3:8).
One can, however, do one's best to be in places where the Spirit commonly blows. The Drake Relays are scheduled in late April for a reason. Good weather is hardly guaranteed, but the chances are good. Anticipating the end of the week and picturing my father-in-law and myself sitting in the stands, I'll pack my rain gear just in case, but I'll expect sunshine and a light breeze.
And sitting in church on Sunday...or with a Bible opened in my lap on the days leading up to it...I cannot presume the fingerprints of the holy...
...but the chances are good.
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