Ps 70 Luke 8:16-25
I have spent thousands of hours on boats of one kind or another. I have been seriously afraid only once. All night we had motored southward in the southern Chesapeake as the wind built to 35 knots, piling up water that crashed over our starboard bow and stretched the full length of our boat. One crew member fell ill early in the night, leaving only two of us--soaking wet from the spray and cold from the wind--to navigate, steer, brew coffee, and find a 3-am snack. Dawn came, and we pointed north into the jetties at Cape Charles, VA. Halfway into the jetties, our engine died. And it wouldn’t start again. I raced to the foredeck and released the anchor latch pin. Sloshing between 2 rock walls built into the bay, no engine power, high winds, waiting for the order to drop anchor and avoid crashing into the rocks, I was scared.
Facing a similar situation, the disciples screamed at Jesus. Were they angry at him for sleeping rather than standing his watch in a difficult situation? They don’t seem to have known that Jesus could (or would) calm the storm. I have no more faith than did Jesus’ disciples. In my storms, however, there have appeared several influences that have tended to calm the waves and wind. A visit with a good friend, singing along with a familiar song, a day walking in the woods, a morning digging in dirt, an afternoon nap, turning a wrench or running a mile, a truly fantastic meal. What are the calming influences you seek in your life? What are the calming influences you might offer others in their storms?
I have spent thousands of hours on boats of one kind or another. I have been seriously afraid only once. All night we had motored southward in the southern Chesapeake as the wind built to 35 knots, piling up water that crashed over our starboard bow and stretched the full length of our boat. One crew member fell ill early in the night, leaving only two of us--soaking wet from the spray and cold from the wind--to navigate, steer, brew coffee, and find a 3-am snack. Dawn came, and we pointed north into the jetties at Cape Charles, VA. Halfway into the jetties, our engine died. And it wouldn’t start again. I raced to the foredeck and released the anchor latch pin. Sloshing between 2 rock walls built into the bay, no engine power, high winds, waiting for the order to drop anchor and avoid crashing into the rocks, I was scared.
Facing a similar situation, the disciples screamed at Jesus. Were they angry at him for sleeping rather than standing his watch in a difficult situation? They don’t seem to have known that Jesus could (or would) calm the storm. I have no more faith than did Jesus’ disciples. In my storms, however, there have appeared several influences that have tended to calm the waves and wind. A visit with a good friend, singing along with a familiar song, a day walking in the woods, a morning digging in dirt, an afternoon nap, turning a wrench or running a mile, a truly fantastic meal. What are the calming influences you seek in your life? What are the calming influences you might offer others in their storms?
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