Wind and Sea

Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.” And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?” Matthew 8:19-27

We live in a world of wind and sea. The summer is gone along with the life guards, the noise ans the crowds. What we are left with is wind, sand and sea. As we move deeper into fall, the winds are more constant, unrelenting, and the water, which was once comfortingly warm, is growing colder by the minute. I've been in the water this week, and will continue until it is too cold for me to stand, but it is no longer the draw to this place. It is quiet, and beautiful, but also exposed and vulnerable. The wind and the water which were summer friends can quickly become our downfall and our danger.

Jesus talks to his followers about the cost of following him. If they are looking for stardom and comfort this is not the road for them. If they want to have many friends and be influential, this is not the way to go. But if they want to be broken open for love and hang around with the one that can speak to the wind and the sea, then follow him. We all have to make a decision about following. Are we in for the happy, easy times, or the vulnerability and humility? If we following Jesus, we have to take the whole road, the whole way, stormy or bright, summer and winter.

Today, I ask God to help me to follow on the way. To the dark and stormy places, to the scary hard rejections, and through the tumult of the wind and the seas. Help me to rely on him who speaks to the wind and sea as family, the one who has known and loved me since before I was born, and who has marked me for life as a follower.