Paddling Like Mad Against The Storm

Sometimes you don’t realize your boat is swamped until it’s too late. Last week’s Gospel reading about how Jesus calms the storm came just in time to save me from my own sinking ship.  

It’s only a few verses (Mark 4: 35-41), so I’ll share the whole thing:

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 

They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

As our priest noted, the first time you listen to the story, the disciples’ pleas sound whiny:

Jesus! Look at the mess we’re in! Aren’t you going to do something about it?!

But she also noted that their cry for help did not go unheeded.
Jesus did calm the storm.

She described the many circumstances in our lives where we might want to make the same plea for help–for ourselves, for loved ones, for the inequality and racism that plague our society–and reminded us that calling on God itself can be an act of faith.

The message I got out of the story (and the sermon)–the one I needed to hear–is that Jesus (God) is with me through life’s troubles, if I would just call on Him for help. 

I’ve spent too much time lately paddling like mad against a storm I can’t outrun.
I need to let go of my fear and put my faith in God to bring me to still waters.

Amen.