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For the Days When It Feels Like Jesus Is Asleep
“What kind of man is this? Even the winds
and the waves obey him!” Matthew
8:27b (NIV)
Sometimes
on ordinary mornings, you can look up and find yourself in what feels like a
tiny dinghy boat, surrounded by vast waters and a bleak sky.
And those
waters are choppy.
You get
the kids off to school, and then you have to walk back into your house. Or your
cubicle at work. Or that classroom. Or that appointment.
And there
are bumps waiting for you.
There are
people or headlines or medical tests or phone calls … that can make the water
around you swell and sway and make you uneasy inside your little boat.
And on days like that, I’ve looked around and wondered where Jesus is. Where
is He in the headlines, deadlines and in our own families? Where is He in our
own aching bodies? Where is Jesus on the days when it feels as though He fell
asleep on the job?
Have you
ever thought that?
Have you turned on the news, or hung up the phone, or walked out of
that meeting, or walked into that doctor’s office and wondered: What on
earth is going on in my world today?
There are
so many days I can’t make sense of this world He designed (and that we’ve
broken).
Sometimes
my faith feels like too little putty to stuff the crack in the bottom of my
leaking boat.
The crack
is too big, and my hands are too little, and my faith keeps letting the water
seep in, no matter how desperately I work to plug the holes in what I believe.
Wake up,
Jesus.
Wake up!
Wake up!
Wake up!
I was
saying these words in my head while getting ready for church last week. And
then it hit me. The obvious. How did I miss it?
I stood
in front of the mirror with a brush in my hand when I remembered that of
course, I’m not the first one.
Of
course.
I’m not
the first one to stand desperate in a “boat,” … desperately afraid of the
storm, wondering why Jesus is asleep on the job.
Matthew 8:27b tells us the disciples endured the furious storm and
asked: “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey
him!”
Those
first shaky disciples and I look out at the waves and the dark, angry clouds,
and we’re so afraid of what’s coming.
We want
to control it or outrun it or survive it. But our faith is slipping through our
fingers, and our boats are wobbly, and our Savior is asleep.
I stood
in front of the mirror and made myself remember the story.
Jesus wasn’t asleep because He didn’t care. He was asleep
because He wasn’t afraid.
This is
the part where my throat starts to get choked up, and I put down the brush and
just stare into space.
And I can
see two strong hands cover mine as I scramble at the bottom of my leaky boat.
Two hands
cover mine and cover the leak, and then I’m not taking in water anymore; I’m
standing on the dry ground of a wooden floor constructed by a trustworthy
Carpenter.
I don’t
have easy answers to the hard questions, whether they’re on the news, coming
from the doctor, a teacher, your co-worker or a dear friend.
I only
have the hope of a hand in mine. The hand of this man, Jesus, who isn’t afraid,
who can calm the storm inside of me, and who builds boats that don’t sink.
Dear
Lord, thank You that we can trust You. Thank You that no matter how loudly the
storm screams or how high the waves get, You are always only one word away from
calming our worst fears and speaking peace into our shaking hearts. Please be
very close today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
TRUTH FOR
TODAY
John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not
give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not
be afraid.” (NIV)
John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you
may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have
overcome the world.” (NIV)
RELATED
RESOURCES
If you’re
in the middle — of a season of doubt or just the hamster wheel of everyday life
— you might enjoy Lisa-Jo Baker’s newest book, The Middle Matters: Why
That (Extra)Ordinary Life Looks Really Good On You. When you pre-order
this week, you’ll also receive a $10 gift card to shop at DaySpring.com. Click here to get your book and claim your gift card.
CONNECT
Join
Lisa-Jo every Wednesday for the Out of the Ordinary podcast, where
she explores the surprising ways that cultivating ordinary life leads to
extraordinary stories.
REFLECT
AND RESPOND
Think
back on a stormy season you’ve experienced or one that you’re in the middle of
right now. How can faith in a God who calms storms help you navigate this time
in your life?
Lisa-Jo Baker
Author-next-door. Re-watches favorite shows.
Thinks ordinary life is rad. Co-hosts the #outoftheordinarypodcast.
Has loudest kids ever.👇🏻linktr.ee/lisajobaker
About Proverbs 31
Proverbs 31 Ministries is a
non-denominational, non-profit Christian ministry that seeks to lead women into
a personal relationship with Christ, with Proverbs 31:10-31 as a guide.
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