22 Now on one of those days Jesus and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they launched out.23 But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended on the lake, and they began to be swamped and to be in danger.24 They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and [a]it became calm. 25 And He said to them, “Where is your faith?” They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him. Luke 8:22-25
As I listened to the weather reports the day before I knew that this storm was going to be huge as it stretched from the far reaches of Arizona into the deep south and into the midwest.Those of us in Minnesota are accustomed to being hit by lots of snow and so it didn't worry me so much as long as we planned ahead.
Many Minnesotan's carry emergency supplies in the trunk of our car hoping that we would never have to use it. Those who live out state know what I'm talking about. As true to the Meteorologist word this storm closed interstates south of the Twin Cities. Closing those roads meant the snow was falling so fast that the plows were unable to keep up. Closing those interstates presented problems for emergency vehicles who hope that there wouldn't be any medical emergencies during this weather crisis. In the deep south, this storm meant the possibility of tornadoes to form and touch down causing more damage in the lives of people
Storms, I've learned, are a fact of life. As inescapable as it seems we can never avoid the loss of close friends and loved family members. Grief is the outcome of those losses which means we have essentially two choices in this life when grief occurs: (1) we can choose to lean into our emotional gut wrenching life changing pain, or (2) we can continue to put off that pain through over work, over indulgence and over-reliance on drugs, alcohol, and unhealthy eating. Choice number 2 really isn't a choice as that can create all sorts of dangerous toxins in our bodies which will ultimately make us sick.
I have also learned how important faith plays in my ability to process those storms in life. I admit that it is far easier to trust God when things are going great in life and where it seems God is raining blessings ( our perceptions of those blessings),but when we lose a special someone we just want to curl up into a fetal position and pull the covers over our heads and wait out the storm.
When the resurrection occurred more than 2000 years ago Jesus proved that he was more than just a man who walked briefly this planet performing miracles for all to see. His words, "come, follow me" had profound implications for all encountering life's storms.
I've learned from my own experience that Jesus wants to be your guide through the storms in this life. So the next time you experience the loss of someone special embrace the emotional pain by bowing down trusting the very one that knows how to guide you through the storm.
Storms, I've learned, are a fact of life. As inescapable as it seems we can never avoid the loss of close friends and loved family members. Grief is the outcome of those losses which means we have essentially two choices in this life when grief occurs: (1) we can choose to lean into our emotional gut wrenching life changing pain, or (2) we can continue to put off that pain through over work, over indulgence and over-reliance on drugs, alcohol, and unhealthy eating. Choice number 2 really isn't a choice as that can create all sorts of dangerous toxins in our bodies which will ultimately make us sick.
I have also learned how important faith plays in my ability to process those storms in life. I admit that it is far easier to trust God when things are going great in life and where it seems God is raining blessings ( our perceptions of those blessings),but when we lose a special someone we just want to curl up into a fetal position and pull the covers over our heads and wait out the storm.
When the resurrection occurred more than 2000 years ago Jesus proved that he was more than just a man who walked briefly this planet performing miracles for all to see. His words, "come, follow me" had profound implications for all encountering life's storms.
I've learned from my own experience that Jesus wants to be your guide through the storms in this life. So the next time you experience the loss of someone special embrace the emotional pain by bowing down trusting the very one that knows how to guide you through the storm.
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