Storms
Once a year I read the 4 Gospels in a month, as one big book* and it’s that time of the year again. I like this tradition I have. I like seeing Jesus through the eyes of four different men and how He loves and leads the people who follow Him, watch Him and want to kill HIm.
I was reading Matthew 14 and came to the story of Jesus sending the disciples across the lake without Him. He goes up to pray - alone and the disciples struggle to get across the lake because of this storm that rose up. Jesus walks on the water towards the boat and the disciples freak out and think a ghost is coming for them. I mean, it’s not unreasonable to be freaked out seeing a shadow of a man walking on the waves - through the storm towards you.
For those that are new here I have MS and Lupus and last week I had a nerve thing happen to my face. It wasn’t directly related to my MS but because of MS, I am highly susceptible to it. It’s called Trigeminal Neuralgia and I couldn’t talk, wash my face or brush the teeth on the right side. I had shooting shocks of electricity that was very painful. I was, very gingerly, able to get a straw in the left side of my mouth to have smoothies for 4 days until I was able to see my doc and get meds. I am grateful to be able to eat, talk, brush my teeth and wash my face. That was a storm in my life.
Storms, by their nature, are unpredictable, overwhelming and can completley freak you out - most dogs and kiddos hate thunderstorms. The storms that we face in our lives are no less unpredictable, overwhelming and can freak us out! Storms like: the loss of a loved one, a diaganosis, a betrayal, the loss of a job, a car accident, a disappointment…you get the picture. We have all faced these type of storms. There is no way to avoid them. But how we handle them can be determined by what we focus on.
As Jesus approaches the boat He says: “Ego eimi” which in English is: “It is I = I AM.” We find those words in the telling of the same story in John 6 and again in Exodus 3 when God tells Moses to tell Pharaoh “‘I AM’ has sent you.’”
God is with us. He comes to us in the storm. He stands with us as we face the unknown, like Moses facing Pharaoh.
He tells his disciples: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”(v.27) Do we recognize Jesus in the middle of the storm we are facing?
Then here’s the next amazing part in the story: Peter asks to go out on the waves. He wants to join Jesus in the storm. And he’s doing ok walking on the waves like Jesus until He focuses on the waves instead of Jesus. Peter starts to sink, but Jesus is there to pull him up.
Last week was hard and scary thinking that this was going to be my new normal. That this pain and the limitations I had was going to be the way it was forever. It was hard to stay focused on Jesus and His plan for my life. I saw all the goals I had for my life slipping away. Talk about being overwhelmed and freaked out!
BUT JESUS! Jesus saw Peter slipping into the sea and reached out His hand to help him out. I think it’s our nature to focus more on the storm. I also think Jesus gets that about us because in the next part of the story we read: “And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.” (v.32)
OK, let’s recap:
>There’s a huge storm and the disciples are struggling to get across the lake because of the wind and waves
There will be storms in our lives that will threaten to drown us and take us out
> Jesus comes walking to them in the middle of the storm, through the waves and wind. The disciples freak out seeing a figure coming towards them and Jesus says: “It’s me, don’t be afraid.”
Jesus tells them that He is the “I AM” - He is revealing Himself to them.
> Jesus then invites Peter to come into the storm with Him and when Peter’s fear overwhelms him, Jesus pulls him out of the waves
Jesus does not hold our fear, doubt, unbelief against us, He meets us there
>Jesus climbs into the boat with them and the winds die down.
Jesus comes to us when everything is unraveling and shows us His authority and affection. He climbs into our boat with us - drawing us near to Him.
Here’s what I want to end with:
God met Moses with his uncertainity and fear and did miraculous things through him.
Jesus met Peter first in his courage to step out then in his fear and sinking because of it.
Jesus met the disciples in their fear by revealing Who He was, showing them His authority and coming to sit with them in the middle of the chaos, both on the sea and in their hearts.
I had no idea what my life would look like while dealing with my face last week, and even in the middle of the fear, pain and uncertainity I knew that Jesus was near. He didn’t take the pain away or heal me miraculously but He reached out in the form of my doc and meds to bring restoration and healing. I am grateful!
I am grateful that God walks in His authority in my life and I can trust Him.
I am grateful that God sits with me in the middle of the storm and doesn’t hold my fear or doubt against me.
I am grateful that I am loved in my lowest moments.
I pray that if you are facing a storm right now or in the future, you will remember that God is with you and brings His authority and affection to sit with you.
Have the most amazing day, Loved of God!
He thinks you are amazing!! -me too!
All My Love ~
Jodi xo
One last thing: Dean started his 3-month sabbatical and we will be traveling at different times so my blog may not be as regular as normal. We would appreciate your prayer for God to refresh, restore and meet us in a deep, personal way. Thank you!
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*read 3 chapters a day