Storms
This morning I have been thinking a lot about storms. We have been getting a lot of rain lately. (No, at this time I am not praying for rain, please don't blame me.) Nicole bought me a new digital rain gauge while I was in Israel and last week I got it set up. It is working. I think I may have to bring it inside though because since setting it up we have had several inches of rain. I doubt, however, that it is responsible for these storms. After all it is spring.
Storms come in all shapes and sizes. Not all storms in life involve the weather either. Some times the stuff of life comes on us like a storm. There are a lot of people right now faces the storm of unemployment. There are people facing storms financially. There are storms in relationships and storms in families. There are storms of grief and loss and storms of stress and anxiety. Storms.
I think about the time that the disciples were in the boat and Jesus came walking on the water to them. Jesus was right there in the midst of the storm. Jesus came to them in the storm. He called out to them, "Don't be afraid." Jesus walks into the storm, onto the crashing waves, into the eye of the storm to be with the disciples. He is there for us in the storms of life. We can encounter Jesus in the storms of life if we look for him and listen for his voice. It will be the voice saying, "Don't be afraid, I am with you."
What I have been thinking about most is following Jesus. What does this story mean for me if I want to be real about walking in the footsteps of Jesus and following him with my life. To follow Jesus might mean to walk into the storms of people lives and come along side them to let them know they are not alone, to calm their fears, and help them to see Jesus is there in the midst of the storm. Maybe it means that we go to people in the midst of their storms and bear the storm with them. And maybe the maybe are really shoulds. We should do these things because that is what it means to follow Jesus.
What am I doing when I hear about people struggling in their relationships? Do I walk into that storm? What am I doing as I hear about people losing their jobs? Am I walking onto those waves to say to people don't be afraid? What am I doing when I hear about a friend who has lost a loved one or dealing with some other tragic news? Am I following Jesus into the storm?
I know this, the storms that I have faced in my life have been bearable because Jesus was with me. I was able to know that because people stepped into the storm with me and helped me to see Jesus and to get through the storm. It made a difference.
Jesus came to them (and he comes to us) in the midst of the storm, walking on the waves, saying "I am with you, don't be afraid."
Love today.
In Christ's love and mine,
Doug
Storms come in all shapes and sizes. Not all storms in life involve the weather either. Some times the stuff of life comes on us like a storm. There are a lot of people right now faces the storm of unemployment. There are people facing storms financially. There are storms in relationships and storms in families. There are storms of grief and loss and storms of stress and anxiety. Storms.
I think about the time that the disciples were in the boat and Jesus came walking on the water to them. Jesus was right there in the midst of the storm. Jesus came to them in the storm. He called out to them, "Don't be afraid." Jesus walks into the storm, onto the crashing waves, into the eye of the storm to be with the disciples. He is there for us in the storms of life. We can encounter Jesus in the storms of life if we look for him and listen for his voice. It will be the voice saying, "Don't be afraid, I am with you."
What I have been thinking about most is following Jesus. What does this story mean for me if I want to be real about walking in the footsteps of Jesus and following him with my life. To follow Jesus might mean to walk into the storms of people lives and come along side them to let them know they are not alone, to calm their fears, and help them to see Jesus is there in the midst of the storm. Maybe it means that we go to people in the midst of their storms and bear the storm with them. And maybe the maybe are really shoulds. We should do these things because that is what it means to follow Jesus.
What am I doing when I hear about people struggling in their relationships? Do I walk into that storm? What am I doing as I hear about people losing their jobs? Am I walking onto those waves to say to people don't be afraid? What am I doing when I hear about a friend who has lost a loved one or dealing with some other tragic news? Am I following Jesus into the storm?
I know this, the storms that I have faced in my life have been bearable because Jesus was with me. I was able to know that because people stepped into the storm with me and helped me to see Jesus and to get through the storm. It made a difference.
Jesus came to them (and he comes to us) in the midst of the storm, walking on the waves, saying "I am with you, don't be afraid."
Love today.
In Christ's love and mine,
Doug
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