Trust Brings Peace
I have a horrible habit of falling asleep as soon as I get in the car at the beginning of a long trip. When I get in my seat on the airplane, the same thing happens. I usually am out before the flight attendant finishes their safety lecture. There is something about the monotonous drone of the engine and the gentle, predicable, movement of the vehicle. The only thing that can make me stay awake on a trip is when I do not trust the person driving. When my sons were learning how to drive, my eyes could not have shut even if I wanted them to. I was constantly on the lookout and always ready to point out something they might have missed. Maybe Jesus was like me, or maybe he was simply exhausted. Either way, he was fast asleep when the storm hit the lake. Sudden storms in this area are not uncommon and very deadly. The disciples were not exaggerating when they told Jesus they were perishing. Their fear was real, and it was founded in truth. Still, Jesus was not afraid.
Any time I am facing a storm in my life, I think of this passage. The waves may be filling my boat with water faster than I can bail it out, but still my Savior is not worried. He is calm enough to rest peaceably. It isn’t that he doesn’t care. It is that he controls the wind. When I was a child, I used to call my father Superman. To me, he was the strongest and most powerful man in all the world. Looking back at the times when I was positive he was some type of superhero, I realize it was because he was calm during the storm. No matter what happened in my life, he had an answer. I never saw him lose his cool. If he ever got frustrated or worried, he never showed it in front of his children. As a parent, I now understand how important it is to be your child’s safe place. I also realize why my father appeared so strong and in control. You see, my problems at seven or eight were not life or death issues. My worries were not things beyond my father’s ability to fix or control. When my bike broke, my world shattered, but he simply got his tool kit. When I scraped my knee, I was positive I was going to die, but he gently got the alcohol and a bandage.
No matter what type of storm we face, God knows exactly how to fix it, help us through it, or hold onto our hand as we continue to walk. He is not scared by the things we perceive in the shadows because all is light to Him. Today’s reading is a great reminder of who our God is. Even the wind and waves listen to His voice. Even demons submit to His will. Nothing happens outside of what He decrees. No matter what we face, God does not worry. He is not frightened, nor is He surprised. We can borrow His calm and rest in the fact that God is stronger than Superman.
(Written by Keegan Harkins.)
Comments