Rest for the Weary, Healing for the Soul Mark 6:30-34; 53-56

When you were in your 30s I bet you dreamed of retirement. You thought I can’t wait to retire, be the boss of my own time, travel the world, play, and do what I want to all the time. If A person said to you when you were 30 that they were retired you would probably reply “oh how lucky you are that you are retired and can slow down. While true that as retirees you no longer punch a time clock, I bet there have been plenty of other things that have replaced your “work” busyness. My father and my room-mates father have both recently retired. I think sometimes our mother’s wish that they hadn’t. I know that my father has found plenty of stuff to replace his “work” time and he has found plenty to keep him busy. If he doesn’t find it for himself, other people find it for him. Many retired folks become surrogate parents for their grandchildren, picking them up from school, taking them to doctors’ appointments, having sleepovers. Many retired folks re-enter the work force changing careers to something they enjoy doing more, yet that still requires their time. This was true of my father. He is a businessman turned barbecue caterer. If he is not barbecuing you will find him working the garden, picking up a child from school, or volunteering at church or cooking breakfast at the Vets Shelter. Sometimes I think he is busier now than he was before he retired. I have been here at Heather Glenn and Ardenwood several times now. I’ve walked the halls and looked at activity calendars at both places, I’ve talked to some of you and I have perused the website. There is plenty to keep you busy. In fact an advertisement for Heather Glenn Assisted living boasts of “walking through the door to a bustle of activity” You have field trips, activities, medication taking, family visits, walks, meals, bible studies, game time. You hear noises that can be tiresome and the list continues. . We are a busy society whether you are a baby or a retiree, our society has something beckoning to keep you busy. This makes the message from the first section of our readings today universally applicable to all. Let’s hear it again: 30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” Let’s stop and explore there for a few minutes. If we look back earlier in this chapter we know that Jesus, frustrated by lack of respect for him in his hometown, decided it was time to move forward in getting his mission out to the gentiles. He sent his disciples out to bring the Good News of God’s kingdom and to heal people and cast out demons. This is the first time in the book of Mark that the disciples are sent out on their own to do ministry. They have been following Jesus and assisting him and now he decides it’s time to send them out. That story picks up here when the apostles have returned to report back to their teacher all that they have done. Jesus recognized a need in the disciples. People just kept coming so much so that they had not even had a chance to eat. Jesus recognized that the disciples needed to rest, they needed to rejuvenate their bodies and their souls. Jesus knows that God has designed our body systems to need food and rest. Food and rest are essentials to life. They are the fuel for our energy. What happens to a car when it runs out of gas? It stops; it will go no further until the owner refuels it. Think about batteries. When things operate on batteries and the battery runs out of juice, what happens? The things die. Hearing aids don’t enable you to hear anymore, power wheelchairs will not take you where you need to be, The Wii game system doesn’t work anymore, and you are no longer able to talk on your cell phone. The other thing you will notice about batteries is that you get a signal that they are getting ready to crash. A hearing aid starts whistling, the smoke detector chirps every so often, the battery meter flashes read, your gas needle sits on empty. So it is with our bodies when they are not given the necessary fuel of food and rest to re-energize and re-build. Our bodies give us signals such as sleepiness, foggy brains, growling to nauseous stomachs, dark eyes, dizziness, grumpiness, aches, pains, a weak immune system, and the list goes on. These are all things that signal us that it is time to rest, it is time to refuel. Jesus knew that the disciples were going to crash and be out of commission if not allowed time to rejuvenate. Jesus knows the same of us. So the first lesson today is very simply; Take time out to rest and to eat, to nourish your bodies, to refuel. Secondly Jesus teaches us with who and where to gain rest. He says Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place. Get away with Jesus and sometimes with other companions that you have a common journey with. There are four groups of people that I seek Solace and comfort from when I am weary and in need of rest. My family, My Sunday School Class, A new spiritual group that I am a part of, and a group of ladies I once played softball with. What all these folks have in common is that I’ve shared a journey with them and have connected with them. They know me the good the bad and the ugly and they continue to love me. I find rest and energy from them. I find the things necessary to refuel. Sometimes it is also important to just be alone. Jesus exemplifies this practice many times in his ministry when important things are about to happen. He goes off by himself and he prays. We can find rest and peace and rejuvenation in our contact with God. Let’s read on: 32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. 33 But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. The disciples were in the boat on their way to a solitary place but people recognized them leaving and chased after them and were waiting for them. The solitary place was no longer solitary. Jesus has compassion on them because they were like a sheep without a shepherd so Jesus begins ministering to them. I’m reminded here of a lady whose brother was at the hospital awaiting the delivery of his first son with the knowledge that the son would be born without life and that at the same time he welcomed his son into the world he would also have to say goodbye. The sister stayed by her brother’s side at the hospital for more than 24 hours, catching a 5 minute nap here and there. She was tired and weary, and heartbroken. She left the hospital and drove to her mother’s house about 5 minutes away and as she drove in the driveway with plans to go into her mother’s house and go to sleep her brother called. The funeral home was meeting with them and he wanted her to be there with him. She went inside her mother’s house and just cried thinking that she didn’t have any more left. But, she got a clean shirt from her mother and a new toothbrush and changed shirts and brushed her teeth and went back out the door and headed to the funeral home. She spent the rest of the day planning the funeral, going from store to store to get the materials needed for the funeral and just simply being with her brother. God gave her the energy she needed for that task. When our rest gets interrupted God is there with us giving us what we need to make it through until there is time to get away and refuel. Why does Jesus allow the rest to be interrupted? “Because the crowd was like sheep without a shepherd.” What is a shepherd’s job? My former pastor, Rob Fuquay, described this just a couple of weeks ago. At the end of the day the Shepherd leads the sheep into the gate of a pen where they will find rest for the night. The next day he opens the gate and leads the sheep out to the pasture to do what they need to do. Jesus says I am the Shepherd. He also says I am the gate. It is through Jesus that we find our rest. Jesus says come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. Much like Jesus’ rest was interrupted, so is this story in Mark. Mark interrupts the telling of the disciples returning to report to Jesus with two other stories. One was of the feeding of the multitudes; the other story is of Jesus calming the storms. Those two stories can easily spur on sermons of their own so we skip over them today to get to the rest of the story of the disciples return. Let’s hear that part again as we turn from lessons about rest and nourishment to lessons about the healing power of Jesus. 53. When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. 54 As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. Jesus and the disciples were able to rest on the boat on the way to the other side but as soon as they set down their anchors and got out of the boat people recognized Jesus. Thus the first step toward healing was the recognition that Jesus was the source of healing. How do we recognize Jesus? By having spent time with him or with others who have spent time with him. We get to know who Jesus is by listening to or reading the stories of his life. We commit those stories to memory. I’ve been reading a series of books by author Karen Kingsbury. What always strikes me about the characters she writes about is the ease with which just the right scripture comes to mind when it is needed to bring about guidance, direction, comfort, strength, reassurance, or healing. What does that mean? It means recognition by those characters that Gods word is indeed a lamp unto our feet and a light unto my heart. We should write the words on our hearts for when they are written on our hearts they are easily recalled in our minds in times of need. The second lesson regarding healing is that people bring those in need of healing to Jesus. 55 They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. I am reminded of the story of the house that was too crowded to get a lame man through to see Jesus and his friends carried him to the roof top and lowered him into the house and into the presence of Jesus for healing. There are really two lessons here. First we must recognize when our companions on this journey have a need and we must be willing and ready to carry them to Jesus. Secondly, when we are in need of healing we need to be open to our need to have companions that will carry us to Jesus, who will bring us into the presence of the one who heals. Finally we must be willing to do our part in the healing. 56 And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed. By taking the step of faith to reach out and touch the hem of his garment the sick participated in their own healing. We must be willing to go to Jesus. Your challenge this week my friends is this: Listen to your bodies signals and refuel your body physically, spiritually and mentally. Trust in the knowledge that Jesus is with you in the times that you are weary. Recognize that when Rest must be interrupted Jesus is there with you providing the extra that you need until such time that you find rest. Recognize when you are needed to carry a friend to Jesus. Let your friends carry you to Jesus when they see that you are in need of healing. Finally be in the word and get familiar enough with the stories of Jesus that when you are in need you recognize him. Go, reach out, touch the hem…..see what happens. Thanks be to God.

July 8th Sermon

Today’s passage of scripture comes from the book of Mark. We will be focusing this morning on chapter 6, verses 1-15. The Book of Mark is one of my favorite books of the Bible. It’s short and to the point. It also has a lot of lessons set by the seashore. The seashore is one of my favorite places to be and to gain inspiration as I take in the marvel and wonder of God’s mighty creation. There are two things that stand out in the book of Mark for me. These things were pointed out to me by my Uncle Stan Dotson and the other by a former professor, Dr. James Blevins. Mark uses the Sea of Galilee to set the stage for Jesus ministry to be all inclusive. No more is the Kingdom of God reserved for the select Jews. By crossing the Sea of Galilee to teach and perform miracles with the Gentiles Jesus sends an undeniable message of there being room at the table for all of God’s creation. Secondly, Mark brilliantly illustrates Jesus’s non conformity to Jewish Laws and expectations by performing miracles, teaching things and living his life in such a way that the disciples and others are constantly saying in their most surprised and astonished voice: What? These surprises Dr. Blevins called Fish Hooks, things that hooked the disciples in and made them ask for more explanation. The use of Fish Hooks as an image is appropriate given the number of lessons that take place by the seashore in the book of Mark. Before I delve into our focal passage this morning I want to point out some of the “fish hooks” that have occurred so far in the life of Jesus up to this point. Mark begins his account of the life of Jesus with the baptism of Jesus after identifying Jesus from being from Nazareth in the region of Galilee. He follows this with the account of Jesus going into the wilderness. A time of preparation and testing for his ministry to come. Once leaving the wilderness Jesus starts out going into his home region of Galilee preaching that “The Kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe the Good News.” The message of Jesus was simple. There was no deep theological secrets, no list of rules to follow. Just “repent and believe the good news.” It is while in Galilee that Jesus calls his first disciples, fisherman who were fishing in the Sea of Galilee. He calls them to become fishers of people. He then set out in Capernaum casting out demons, healing the sick and teaching in the synagogue. He would then retreat and spend time praying in solidarity before going onto what he believed was his next assignment. From Capernaum he felt called to go out into the nearby villages throughout Galilee preaching the message, driving out demons and healing the sick. People were amazed and a following quickly emerged for this man. While in the villages in Galilee Jesus performed the first Major Fish hook. He healed a leaper. You may know that leapers were considered unclean and contact with a leaper would quickly send a person into isolation for a period of cleansing. Jesus had no regard for the rules and had contact with the leaper. He told the leper not to tell but the leper did and Jesus was then in isolation. He couldn’t enter a town openly but stayed outside in the “lonely places.” The lonely places of isolation where only the outcasts remained. Yet, still people came to him. What? The surprises have only just begun. Jesus breaks the Sabbath by healing a lame man, the religious authorities calling him blasphemous. What? Jesus calls a tax collector as a disciple, but wait the surprise doesn’t stop there. He eats with him in his home with a room full of tax collectors and sinners. Jesus’s table of fellowship is full of persons on the wrong side of the law? What? The disciples don’t obey the fasting laws, grain is picked on the Sabbath and this Jesus is okay with this. What? Then when you think there could possibly be no more surprises Jesus begins his series of journeys across the lake to the Gentile area; a whole region of uncleanness. He casts out a demon in a man that has been living in a cemetery. He sends the demon into a herd of pigs, the symbol of the uncleanness of the Gentiles and sends the pigs to their drowning death, symbolizing the death of the uncleanness of the Gentiles. There is room at the table for the Gentiles as well as the Jew. Back and forth across the Sea of Galilee he goes. Showing no partiality in his healing and teaching. He heals Jew and Greek. He heals male and female. The Kingdom of God does not discriminate. There is room at the table for all. This new kingdom that Jesus is living out is not at all what anyone expected. Jesus meets with opposition from the religious leaders, the political authorities, his own disciples and even his family, those that know him best. This leads us to today’s passage. Jesus goes to his hometown of Nazareth where he goes to teach in the Synagogue. How would you picture such a homecoming. Here is the boy that grew up in our church and he is out there healing people, he speaks with such authority and wisdom, he casts out demons. We are so proud to call him ours to know that he came from among us. I was able to recently witness the ordination of Leyton Alan Mears. Alan has been the associate pastor of Longs Chapel for the last 6 years. Alan grew up in the Longs Chapel family. While I have only been at Longs Chapel for 11 years , I still felt a sense of deep pride in watching Alan become a Full Elder of the United Methodist church. I have seen him grow so much in the last 6 years. That is not the experience Jesus had though. The people in his home church questioned his authority, accused him of being blasphemous and crazy. They were saying things like “We know where he come from, this is just a carpenter’s boy.” His mother and brothers and sisters are among us right now. He performs miracles and teaches as if he were of some other authority. How could this possibly be? We know his humanity. Oh how easy it would be to be discouraged, to quit, to find something else to do. I might would. In fact I almost did. I heard god’s call to ministry as a 12 year old girl in a small southern Baptist Church. That didn’t go over very well in my denomination. Women just weren’t called to preach. I spent 30 years of my life trying to call Social Work my ministry and allowing the obstacles put in front of me to stop me, to hinder the call on my life. “I must have heard wrong, this is really what God wants me to do.” If it were meant to be these obstacles wouldn’t exist. Why I am a single mother, I have a great career. I can retire when I am 53 with full benefits. I can fulfill God’s call on my life through volunteering at the church and visiting nursing homes, speaking every couple of months. But, God wouldn’t let me settle for that for that was not God’s plan for me. Recently a friend of mine said don’t view opposition as an obstacle to be overcome, view it as a rock in the river that just changes the direction of the journey. What a great lesson. Jesus didn’t let opposition deter him. He was disappointed in the people’s lack of faith. For him faith was essential for healing to take place and he was able to heal very few people because of the lack of faith that existed. As sad and disappointing as this was Jesus did not let this failure to be accepted in his home town to become an obstacle for him or for his disciples. He kept moving forward with His Mission to bring about this new kind of kingdom. He went out into the villages and he continued to perform miracles, to teach and to heal. Then comes the second part of today’s story: the commissioning of the disciples. Starting with vs. 7. “Calling the twelve to him he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits. He then instructed them in how to go about this: Vs. 8 These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff==no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave as a testimony against them. What was the result of this instruction. Vs. 12-13….They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them. The failure of the hometown people to accept Jesus only pushed him forward to spread the mission outward and through his disciples spread it even more. His hometown folks’ attempt to kill him and thus kill the message was the ultimate fail. Friends we are all called to tell our stories, to let people know the love and grace of God. So what does this story today teach us about our own relationship with God. 1. God comes to us in unexpected, common ways such as through a carpenter’s son, we need to be looking for those ordinary means through which God might speak to us. 2. Failure should not be looked upon as a reason to give up but as a step with which to spawn us forward with even better more expansive plans. Shake the Dust off and move on. 3. We are not in this journey alone. We have companions for the journey. Travel in twos. 4. Travel Light. About this my friend Chip says: “feels like openness, hands free, not encumbered with my stuff - just dependent on God to supply our needs through the kindness of others.” It is very easy to let our attachment to stuff be a deterrent from doing God’s work. 5. Expect times of failure. Let that failure spur you forward, shake the dust off and move on. Where in your faith journey are you stuck, allowing doubt and unmet expectations stop you? Today is the day friends. Won’t you shake off the dust and move forward doing your part of bringing God’s Kingdom to Earth as it is in Heaven.

Step Into the Water--Joshua 3- October 30, 2011

This morning’s passage of scripture continues the story of the Exodus from Egypt and the entry to the promised land. I have had the privilege of being a guest speaker on 6 different occasions over the last 8 weeks or so and because of that have actually gotten to follow a sermon series so to speak. The problem is, I have always had a different congregation so those listening haven’t had the benefit of hearing the proceeding sermons. Let me catch you up a bit. Thus far we have Moses being spoken to by God through a burning bush, calling him to go back to Egypt where he was raised and deliver the Children of Israel out of their bondage and lead them to Canaan, the land that God had promised to Abraham and his descendants. For 40 years we have this pattern of the Children of Israel wandering through the wilderness. There are many moments of them not trusting God. There are even more moments of God providing for them and showing that he is there with them in this dark time of their life. He provides Manna for food, he provides water from a rock, he provides the provides a cloud for them to follow, He gives them the 10 commandments so they have guardrails for life to keep them from falling. Over and over again the children of Israel languish in their faith, revert to idol worship, do things that are outside of the walk of a God follower and Over and Over again God forgives them, provides for them and loves them. Moses is faithful in his task. Moses is constantly in touch with God and following God’s commands but Moses dies prior to entering the land. The book of Deuteronomy ends with Moses laying hands on Joshua and commissioning him to be the next leader. Joshua was a main character in the Exodus story. He emerged as a leader when spies were sent into Cannan to check out the competition so to speak. Most of the spies were overwhelmed by what they saw but Joshua and Caleb, they saw the potential. While the other 10 spies brought back an exaggerated report of doom and impossibilities, Joshua and Caleb said the land is flowing with milk and honey. Everything is big. But they trusted God. God is bigger than the biggest of things. Sure there are obstacles but God can overcome them. While the others were calling to go back to slavery in Egypt Joshua and Caleb say God says we can do it. Let’s do it. They trusted In God to bring them to the promised land. They are described as wholeheartedly following God. Another time we see Joshua emerging as a leader is when the Israelites go into battle with the Amalekites. The story tells us that as long as Moses was holding up his arms that the Israelites were winning the battle. However if his arms dropped they stopped winning. Moses grew weary. Holding your hands above your head for a long period of time is a very difficult task. And after a period of time it biomes very painful. Joshua was the one who had the military strength and mind who led the Israelites into battle, Moses held up his staff which represented God’s power and Aaron and a man named Hur came to Moses aid when he became weary by holding his hands up for him. They all needed each other. So, Joshua had proven himself in the wilderness to be a strong leader and a follower of God. He is commissioned to lead the Israelite into the promised land. The Israelites are given some final directions by Moses and then Moses dies. The Israelites spend 30 days In mourning over their leader and then they turn to Joshua who will lead them the rest of the way into the promised land. The first two chapters of Joshua are about Joshua preparing himself and the nation for the day of invading the land of Cannan. He sends two spies into the land who come back and report that the people of Cannan are melting in fear of them. Joshua tells the nation to get ready and sends the high priests with the ark of the covenant ahead of them. The first obstacle to their possession is the River of Jordon. It is harvest time and at harvest time the Jordon river flows out of it’s banks. They must cross the Jordon and this is where today’s story picks up.

God tells Joshua it’s time. That today the Nation will see that God’s power is with Joshua in the same way that it was with Moses. God gives the instructions to Joshua and Joshua gives the Instructions to the people of Israel. The instructions were this. The priests were to step into the Jordon with the Ark of the Covenant and stand still while the nation crosses the Jordon. When the sole of the priests shoes touched the water the water stopped. Again waters were parted and dry ground was there for the nation of Israel to cross over into the promised land. This is a great story. What does it have for us today though. First we must determine what is our promised land. One of my guilty pleasures each week is Thursday night TV. I watch Greys Anatomy and Private Practice faithfully. This week on Greys Anatomy there was a scene in the OR between Dr. Calliope Torres and Dr. April Kepner. They are in the OR repairing a mans hand. Torres is the head surgeon and Kepner is assisting. Kepner is doing her usual whining about people not understanding the importance of the paperwork and scheduling she is doing. Torres stops and asks her “Do you want to be an administrative assistant? Is that what makes you heart sing.” Confused April looks at her and says no, of course not. To which Torres replies “then stop hiding behind paperwork and get in the OR and just do it, don’t eat, don’t sleep, just do this and she hands her the surgical tool needed to do the next portion of the surgery.” April, shocked takes the tool and says what you want me to place the K string. Torres says “Is it what makes your heart sing.” April says yes and Torres says then “do it.” For April Kepner and Calliope Torres healing people through surgery is what makes their heart sing, it is their promised land. See, I think as individuals our promised land is that for which God has gifted us with a passion that makes our hearts sing, that energizes us, that puts a smile on our face. For me, this right here is my promised land. Studying God’s word and taking it the step to apply it to our lives today and sharing it with people. I get energized by that and it makes my heart sing for days just to have the opportunity to do it. It makes my heart sing to talk about the passivity of Kingdom come right here on earth as it is in heaven. It makes my heart sing to share with someone that God’s love does not discriminate and everyone is a candidate for God’s grace. What makes your heart sing, what do you dream of doing, what is your passion. What is that thing that you are thinking about right this minute, I wish I would have……..That my friend Is your promised land. Some of you may already be in your promised land but for those of you who are not. Why are you not there. What keeps you from moving forward to realizing the dream. What are the obstacles before you. What is your Jordon River. I was called into ministry 30 years ago and I am here to tell you that I have had a Red Sea, a Wilderness and a Jordon River all to go through. There have been periods of time that I, Like the children of Israel have just wanted to go back to Egypt. There have been times that I have turned around and started back toward Egypt. The latest Obstacle for me was figuring out how in the world I could go back to school, take care of my special needs son, and pay my mortgage. At this stage stepping into the promised land means stepping out of a job I have been doing for 17 years. It means giving up a salary that comfortably paid my mortgage and my bills. That was a very hard thing to give up. Sometimes God forces us to give it up. That is what it finally took for me. I lost my job 6 weeks ago and immediately God began showing me the path to the promised land Before I could see that path though I had to step out of the comfort of my present job and display faith that God would provide. The Priests carrying the ark had to display faith by taking that step into the water. It was only then that the river parted and there was dry land to cross through.

There is another story in the new testament that demonstrates this as well. Look with Me at Matthew 14:17-22:

22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
29 “Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

There the disciples are, in the comfort of the boat and Jesus comes walking up to them on the water. Peter says Lord, if it’s you tell me to come to you on the water and Jesus said come. Peter did as Jesus said and started walking toward Jesus on the water, but then he became afraid and took his eyes off Jesus and began to sink. He hollered out Lord save me! Jesus reached down his hand and pulled him up and the two got into the boat.

This is yet another illustration that we have to take steps of faith away from what is comfortable in order to reach the promised land. John Ortberg writes a book solely focused on this passage of scripture. It is titled If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat. There is a study guide that goes along with it and it’s a small group study I would encourage you to do one day. In the preface of the study guide he says “Peter’s walk stands as an invitation to everyone who, like him, wants to step out in faith and experience more of the power and presence of God. Water-walking is a picture of doing with God’s help what we could never do on our own”

This story of Joshua today is full of lessons for us. We could spend a few weeks bringing out each one but for Today this is the lesson I want to leave with you. Name your promised Land, then step into the water, get out of the boat, fix your eyes on Jesus and let God do the impossible in your life, let God bring you to the place that makes your heart sing!

Surviving the Storm

This morning on my way to work, Greg Laurie with New Beginning was preaching a sermon titled “Following Jesus through the Storm” using Matthew 8:23-27, which is the story of Jesus commanding the storm to stop. During his sermon he pointed out that not all storms stop using Joni Erikson Tada as an example. Joni is a paraplegic from a diving accident she had years ago. Recently she has been diagnosed with Breast Cancer. Her storm has never stopped but she has had a thriving ministry through it all, speaking and encouraging others. As I listened to him I was reminded of the scripture I read this morning: Acts 27:13-16, The Storm that didn’t stop. It reads as follows:

13 When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. 14 Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. 15 The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure, 17 so the men hoisted it aboard. Then they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Because they were afraid they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor[a] and let the ship be driven along. 18 We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. 19 On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.
21 After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. 22 But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. 23 Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me 24 and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ 25 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. 26 Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.”
I then began thinking about my own ongoing storm. I knew going into adopting my son that it was going to be hard. He had more diagnoses at 2 than I will have in a lifetime. I didn’t know however that everyday would there would be storm waters to bear and that life would be lived moment to moment in anticipation of the next blow up or the next set back. I sit here reflecting 13 years later about the most recent set back and about what my life has been for the last 13 years and wonder, just how am I still standing. How have I not drowned. How can I get phone call after phone call and still keep my composure and go on with my day. How am I not in the hospital? This storm does not quit.
In this passage of scripture, despite Paul’s warnings, the sailors acted on their feelings (“obtained what they wanted.”, acted impulsively, “began throwing everything overboard.” And then they gave up, resolved they would die. After days of them going without food Paul intervened again encouraging the sailors and letting them know that they were not going to perish that only the ship would perish. Things can be replaced, life can not. God’s priority is people, not things. (See Proverbs 15:16.) God’s presence was there with the people on that boat, in that storm. He assures Paul that he still has a purpose in mind for him. God gives us promises and He honors those promises. God showed Paul that they would run aground on an island and they would be spared. The storm didn’t end but their lives continued on through the storm.
Back to Greg Laurie’s sermon: He shared that Joni Erikson’s response to her cancer was” God has something big in store, I can’t wait to see what it is.” In her storm she began the same as she had when she found herself paralyzed, finding where she could give God glory in the storm. She began encouraging others who were taking chemo treatments beside her. She took every opportunity she could to present God’s love to whoever she came in contact with.
As I reflect I realize that to survive my storm I must:
1. Not act impulsively on the feeling of the moment.
2. I must resolve not to give up.
3. I must keep God ever in my presence
4. I must use this gift God gave me named David, to encourage and lift up others in similar situations and to point them to Jesus.
5. I must give constant thanksgiving for those who have chosen not to bail off the side of the ship but to travel this journey with me wherever it takes me.

Thanks be to God for the whispers and prodding of this day.