Suddenly, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”
— Matthew 8:24-27 (NIV)
How many times have I encountered a similar scenario? The day has been smooth sailing, when all of a sudden something happens. Something that was not part of my plan, something that causes me some level of displeasure. I become angry, frustrated, or disappointed. And, often, very quickly. I’m on the verge of a “freak out” before I know what’s hit me.
Brene Brown, author of The Gifts of Imperfection, says, “Sometimes I actually think to myself, I’m dying to freak out here! Do I have enough information to freak out? Will freaking out help? The answer is always no.”
If I know in my head that freaking out won’t help, why is it that I react this way? Why do I go from calm to calamity in the blink of an eye?
On some level, I must think that all things should happen according to my plan, all the time. I must feel that I don’t have to experience trials or encounter other people’s issues.
Being totally transparent, I don’t want to deal with other people’s problems. I don’t want there to be obstacles in my day. I want everyone to like me and be on board with my plans, whatever they are. But, that isn’t reality, is it?
The key verse describes a calm boat ride that became very rocky, very quickly. The passengers on board became panicked. But, instead of becoming angry, frustrated, or attempting to solve the situation on their own, they immediately went to Jesus. They trusted His rescue. And we can do the same.
Calm to calamity, the transition in life can be just a few seconds. On the written page, it is the difference of just a few letters. The response is made with the many of the same letters: Call on The Mighty.
I don’t have to freak out, or become irritated and frustrated, I can trust in the one who answers my call.
Lord, please remind me where to turn when my calm feels like it is turning into a calamity. Show me how not to become angry when things aren’t going my way. Help me let go of my sense of entitlement to a stress-free life. And when things get rocky, help me focus on the one that calms the storms.
Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Between May and October, I love to spend as many mornings as possible swimming laps in our neighborhood pool. Before beginning, I often have to relocate leaves, bugs, and the occasional pool toy.
And at least once a summer, I also encounter a frog. I’m not sure how it happens, but there he is, swimming frantically, trying to find an exit. Needless to say, I do not want to swim laps with an amphibian companion, so I’m more than happy to help extricate him. However, I’m a bit squeamish and don’t want to actually touch him, so I have to find another method of removal (our pool maintenance crew keeps the net, requiring me to improvise).
On this particular morning, I found a pool noodle lying nearby. I extended the foam flotation device towards the frog, thinking he would be smart enough to realize I was offering him a way out. No such luck. Instead of jumping on, he swam away from the very thing that could save him. Moving frantically in the opposite direction, banging into the side wall, thinking, if he just kept swimming, maybe he could save himself. How often do we do the same thing?
God offers us His wisdom through the Bible, Holy Spirit, and Christian counsel, but we keep swimming, thinking our solutions are better. We move away from the saving grace we are trying to find.
Sure, the frog could technically survive in the pool, just as we could continue making our own choices and trying to live life our way. But, if the frog would just surrender to the help I was willing to offer, he would have had to struggle less. He would have been able to proceed with life in the manner he was meant to be living – on land, not in a neighborhood pool.
I’m not sure why, at times, I forget about Jesus’ offer of the pool noodle. I guess, in those moments, I’m too busy figuring out my own version of the doggie paddle to remember the help I’ve been offered through the sacrifice of Jesus.
Lord, help me stop flailing in the water and take the rescue that is offered through the sacrifice of Jesus, my true and lasting salvation.
“For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who says to you, ‘Fear not, I am the one who helps you.’” Isaiah 41:13
I’ve been known to say more than once, “I can be spontaneous, you just have to give me a little notice”. This is said with a smile, but there is more truth to it than I prefer to admit sometimes. I REALLY like to know what’s next…and what’s after that. And, let’s be honest, I want to know every little detail of the next few “after that’s”, after that.
When I don’t know all the facts, or I feel things are happening outside my control, I can panic pretty quickly. Panic becomes negativity, which becomes discouragement, which can circle back to fear. I can react in a flurry of emotions before I remember to use God’s lens of looking at the world and my circumstances.
There are over 350 verses in the Bible that address fear, the key verse is just one of them. When I read these verses, my first instinct is to berate myself for having fear. I think to myself, if my faith were stronger, I wouldn’t have fear. But, rather than chastising myself when I feel fear, I need to remember that the “Fear not” doesn’t simply mean: don’t have fear, it more specifically states that I don’t have to be afraid. Someone else has this, whatever “this” is. God is with me through it all. He is my strength and my source of wisdom and hope. I don’t have to be afraid because He is with me, He loves me, and He will help me.
Faith over fear means I don’t have to control everything in order to lessen my anxiety. Every moment doesn’t have to be orchestrated perfectly by me to achieve peace. I can trust in the creator and controller of the universe, and contrary to my belief otherwise, I don’t have to design each situation in order for God’s perfect plan to be carried out. I don’t always have to be in the driver’s seat in order to get to where I’m supposed to be going.
I can be a passenger as long as I am allowing God to be the driver. Submitting to God rather than submitting to self, and my desire to control. Trusting God rather than my well-planned itinerary. This is a tall order for someone who has “driven” her whole life (even as a toddler, I had very clear ideas about how things should be, or so I’ve been told). But, what I’ve learned after following God for a couple of decades, is His plan is always better than mine. I just need reminders of that from time to time, a gentle nudge to scoot on over to the passenger seat and not give so much driving advice.
Father, I want to peacefully sit back and adore the view and experiences you provide. I want to cheerfully go where you take me. Open my eyes to the scenery you’ve created just for me. Thank you that you’ve planned an amazing “trip” just for me. Help me submit to you today and every day. Help me hear your promptings of where you want me to go. Let me learn to trust your map and not try to jump back into the driver’s seat. Remind me that You’ve got this because You are with me, You love me, You help me, and because of this, I can fear not… You are driving!
When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. John 10:4
Just as I was leaving for work one morning, I received a phone call, during which time, I allowed the caller to speak down to me, to demean me, to question my character. I sat in silence, as I had so many times before, letting this person believe they had the right to speak to me that way.
I tolerated it because, on some level, I believed I deserved it. Even though I knew these accusations were untrue, there was a tiny part of me that thought, maybe, what this person was saying was a little true. For years, I heard negative, critical rants about who I was, but I didn’t know how to say “stop”.
I didn’t know at the time that the words being spewed at me spoke more about the speaker than they did about me. When I ended the call, the words hung in the air, permeated my soul, and clouded my mind. My heart was discouraged and defeated.
I turned on the radio as I continued my drive to work. The song “I Am New” by Jason Gray came on. During the song, the lyrics speak of how God sees us, adjectives include: beloved, worthy, accepted, and chosen. This was the first time I had heard this song, and the tears began to flow down my cheeks unchecked. I pulled the car over and let the words wash over me. That song was a reminder of who I am and more importantly, whose I am. The words were the antidote to what I had just heard. It was love to counteract the hate. It was just what I needed at that moment.
There have been so many times in my life that a song has been a powerful conduit of God’s word. Because I know my Father, I know the sound of His voice, even if it is coming through the radio of my car during my morning commute. I am so grateful that He uses any means possible to let me know I am worthy of His love.
John 10:16
I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them in as well, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd.
John 10:27
My sheep listen to My voice, I know them, and they follow me.
