"He said to them, "Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?" Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. The men were amazed, and said, "What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?" Matthew 8:26,27
The people of Japan are experiencing the horrific effects of a massive earthquake. The footage is heart-breaking. To see homes, buildings, streets washed away is devastating. It was unexpected and there is never any preparation for something like that....It happened around 2 PM right in the middle of a work day. The fear is resulting Tsunamis up and down the coast.....
The truth is, there are all kinds of Tsunamis in life. My best friend feels like she is standing in the midst of one right now. She is under so much stress she actually forgets to breathe. She has the burden of taking care of both elderly parents, neither one of whom can get around, one suffering from Dementia and one from Alzheimer's. Most of the time, they don't talk, they bark orders.
She feels like her world has stopped, and it pretty much has. Life is going on normally without a hitch for others, but hers has stalled out. There is no time for herself. And it is affecting her health.....Life can feel very much like you are standing in the middle of an earthquake that is still going on. Nothing feels stable, nothing can be planned, because the job is never over.........Whether it is a natural disaster, or a family problem, the symptoms are the same. Stress is stress, and the body doesn't know the difference. It screams, fight or flight.
She longs to hear the words of Jesus, "Peace Be Still." Oh, how she wishes she could be still, just for a moment. How she longs to be in that boat with Him.
Hear the wind cease.....feel the torrential wind die down......hear the sound of the waves lapping gently against the boat.....
But she can. As believers we have the assurance that He is keeping us. That He is here with us, this He has promised us. His peace is for us. And we have help....."But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid." John 14: 26,27
Know right now........He is keeping you. You may not feel Him there, but you know He is. You have not blown up, hit anyone, exploded, and you are still laughing at times. He is keeping you.....and He will continue to keep you. Sometimes it just boils down to that. And one minute, one hour at a time.
When I was writing this post I remembered this song that was popular back in the seventies....
"Put your hand in the hand of the man who stilled the water
Put your hand in the hand of the man who calmed the sea
Take a look at yourself and you can look at others differently
By puttin your hand in the hand of the man from Galilee...."
(As recorded by Ocean) GENE MACLELLAN 1970
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