Weathering Storms
Our emotional attention is driven up and down throughout the day – and our hearts with it. We worry about what the future holds for our children. What the future holds for us.
Political news. Global news. Economic news. Problems in the home. Difficulties in family relationships.
We fear losing stability. Or we fear never getting what we’ve been working toward, praying for, and hoping for.
Our content and discontent from moment to moment reveal what is driving our hearts.
When what we want seems attainable our heart rises up as if on the peak of a wave. But in the next moment our heart can be driven into a valley of hopelessness.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
– Matthew 6:21
And when the desires of our hearts feel to be at risk, we tend to doubt God is really with us and attentive to our cries.
…the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind.
– James 1:6b
We have each been in that place – our heart and emotions driven and tossed as if by fierce waves and wind. In that place we feel panicked. We can’t be stable for our spouse or children. We can’t direct them to God because we are doubting. Our attention is on what we are afraid of losing.
Two things we can do with our worry:
1. Sailors know – to get more buoyancy in stormy waters – jettison unnecessary cargo. Seek out what is feeling weighty. Then “toss it” out. Give it to God to worry about so you don’t have to carry it.
What is it you fear losing?
Prayerfully, imagine holding it in your hands, then ask Him to take it. Importantly, you must let it go. Once He takes it, don’t go back grasping for it. Your heart is not meant to carry it.
2. Look for Jesus in your storm and follow His example. By definition, this is what ‘disciples’ do: they imitate their master's actions, words, posture...
What do we find when we look for Him? Where is He and what is He doing?
He is with us. Even as we are driven from crest to valley.
And what is His posture? What example does He set?
He is in the stern of the boat – asleep on a cushion! (read Mark 4:38)
We, panicked.
He, resting.
Jesus can and does calm storms. But more often He admonishes us, saying: After all this time of walking through life with me... “Why are you fearful? Do you still have no faith?”
His greatest desire is that we, too, would be able to rest – giving all our concerns to the Father, really and truly. His invitation is to sleep. Rest in the peace of His very real and present Kingdom.
Sleep, you say, is the image of death;
for my part I say that it is rather the image of life.
– Blaise Pascal