Mark 4:37 – 39 “And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And He was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow, and they awake Him, and say unto Him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And He arose, and rebuked the wind and said unto the sea, “Peace, be still.” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
I’m grateful that I’m not in the middle of a great storm right now in my life. But something is disturbing my peace, agitating my spirit, and making me irritable with those around me.
It was a great storm when our son died.
It was a great storm when my husband suffered several heart attacks.
It was a great storm when both of us were unemployed, broke, and had no health insurance for our little girl.
It was a great storm when our grand daughter had a sledding accident that required brain surgery.
It was a great storm when our younger son served with Special Forced in Iraq.
Those were great storms. Whatever is churning inside me right now isn’t great. It’s just a little disturbance of some kind. It leaves me puzzled at how this little something can rob me of my inner peace, the stillness that makes my spirit feel sheltered and at home in the Lord.
More than once I’ve seen Jesus stand on the bow of my life and hush the hurricane winds, still the mountainous waves that threatened to crush me. So, how is it that this unrest, this stress, this less-than-peace makes me feel so uneasy on the inside?
How is it that I can fall to my knees and shake Jesus into paying attention when my world is crashing on the rocks, but I don’t want to bother Him with those little gusts that churn the waters within me? Do I think I can handle this one by myself? Do I think that the little oar I brought with me is enough to get me safely to shore?
No, even for those little storms that blow quickly over my life I need Jesus at the helm. I need to let go of the wheel and kneel before the Master of the storm. I need to depend on Him for my peace because He IS peace. Those little daily storms-those nuisances, those aggravations and stresses, are bound to stir the waters inside me unless…
I make sure that Jesus is onboard with me. Unless I let Him be the pilot and guide of my life. Unless I quit paddling furiously, obediently step aside, and let Jesus calm the churning inside.
Even the wind and the sea obey Him. Why don’t I?
Lord, help me to quit rowing so hard, step aside, and let you bring your marvelous peace into my day-to-day life.
Amen
Jean, this is a beautiful post, and so true. Jesus is there to calm all the storms of our lives – big and small. He wants us to call on Him no matter what. Thanks for this reminder.
This is so great. I am experiencing, and writing about, this very thing. I think it is hard to be in an in-between place. It’s uncomfortable and unsettling. The usual road sign don’t mark the way making it easy to lose one’s perspective and get lost.
Thanks for this post!
This is so true, Jean. In my big storms, it seems like I am desperate enough to know I am out of my depth, and so I turn to the Lord for the strength and help and guidance I need. But the little storms seem to be things I can probably handle myself, and so that is what I try to do! I want that day-to-day rest in my life, too. You have said it so well…”help me quit rowing so hard.”