Even the Wind and the Sea Obey Him
Meg Chaney
“On that day, when evening had come, He told them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the sea.” So they left the crowd and took Him along since He was already in the boat. And other boats were with Him. A fierce windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But He was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke Him up and said to Him, “Teacher! Don’t You care that we’re going to die?” He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Silence! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Then He said to them, “Why are you fearful? Do you still have no faith?”
And they were terrified and asked one another, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey Him!””
Have you ever been in a storm? Has life ever felt impossibly hard?
I’ve had moments when life has felt so hard. I feel like I’ve failed on all fronts. My Maybury world has crashed down around me, and I feel lost. I feel alone. I wonder if God is even hearing me. Like the disciples, the Lord feels fast asleep, unencumbered, without worry, while I’m over here freaking out.
Or like Martha, Lazarus’ sister, I’m so busy doing all the things, keeping everything organized, making sure everyone has the best attention possible, and the Lord calls to me and tells me to just sit and rest. Be calm, stop fretting (see Luke 10:38-42).
This storm the disciples were in felt like the end of all things good.
I’ve had moments when parenting my kids where I’ve felt at a complete loss. I’ve felt like a failure. Like I’ve disappointed myself, my husband, my kdis. It feels like the world has come to an end. The boat has already been rocking for awhile, but now the water is crashing in. The storm is picking up steam.
And my Savior sleeps.
It feels like He must not care.
But He does.
It feels like He must not notice the distress I’m in. the worry, the fretting, the stewing, the business. The waves are only getting bigger.
My patience is wearing thin. I’m doing it all, and not seeing a difference.
I’m keeping all the boxes checked. I’m correcting my children when they’re disrespectful.
But still, they act out in public. Still they talk back. Still, they make wrong choices that influence those around them.
When my kids were tiny, our life only revolved around the home. Now that they’re entering those Preteen/Teen years, their choices have bigger ramifications.
And the storms never seem to stop.
They just change.
Sometimes the problems are little, other times they have long lasting ramifications. I wish I could protect my children from the world around them. I wish I could take away the things that pain them. I wish I could keep them completely happy, completely safe. But I can’t. They are growing and making their own decision.
Letting go and trusting God is a part of the process.
Be still my child.
But how Lord? How when the boat is rocking and we’re taking on water. Don’t you want me to grab a map, direct us out of this? Or buckets, do we need more buckets to do some bailing?
Be still.
Lord, I don’t know how to be still.
Rest
What is rest, Lord, I hardly know how? I show my love by staying busy, keeping organized, keeping our family on task.
Let go.
But how Lord?
Just let go.
And then I do. I don’t direct the boat. I lay the map and the buckets down.
And I feel such peace.
Has the boat stopped rocking? Sometimes, yes, other times, no. But my perspective changed.
You see, the Lord had control all along. He just wanted me to trust Him to move.
His timing was different than my own. What I saw as a tremendous storm was always in His control.
What I saw as a big issue, He saw as something to work through.
Maybe the issue isn’t completely solved, but the waves feel less hazardus. Maybe the boat is still rocking, but I feel His peace. He’s in control now. The rocking doesn’t scare me as much anymore. Our Lord could sleep because He was in control. I can rest, not because the storm is necessarily gone, but because I’ve given up control of this sittuation. I can rest, because my Lord is controling the boat. I can rest because my Lord has comand of the wind and seas as well.
We live in such a broken, painful world. Loneliness, anxiety, physical pain are always near. But we have a Lord who is truly in control.
It’s amazing to be reminded of just how powerful He is!