Stilling the Winds

When evening had come, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let us go across to the other side." And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?" And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?" Mark 4:35-41

Our lives have been very full over the past few days. All of our daughters are here for a dear friends wedding. I also had a wedding to celebrate yesterday. We have been having great fun and yet there has also been a good deal of shared worries and anxiety. In this economy, everyone seems to have challenges with jobs, living space etc. Helping my mother live with her diminished state is also on our hearts and minds. It has been a joyful time as all of my daughters and granddaughter paddled around in the water. And it has had moments of great stress and tension. All families do.

The disciples and Jesus had to get away from the crowds. Exhaustion over took him from the length of the day and the press of the people. When a storm arises, Jesus is oblivious but the disciples panic. These are men accustomed to the sea, so they must have been frightened for their lives. Jesus calmed them and the weather as well. God is in the midst of our worst storms and sometimes it may seem as if God is sleeping while we are perishing. But God is with us and will bring calm and peace to us and to the storms that batter our hearts and minds. If we seek God, we will find a way through every storm.

Today, I want to trust God in the meanest of storms, in the winds and the waves and the changes of the tides. God has promised to be in the midst of the worst we face, in our everyday monotony and everything in between. May I spend my time seeking God, and asking for the help I need. May the storms we face today be an invitation to dive deep into the heart of God for shelter and for peace. We are neither abandoned nor alone and God is with us, breathing new life, new possibilities, and a way forward, ever when we can't see for the clouds and water. May we seek God's peace today, confident that the peace of God is right here with us.