High Waves
Scripture Reading — Mark 4:35-41
[Jesus] said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
There is something spectacular about watching a storm while you are safe inside your home. But what if you are out on the water?
A few years ago my husband and I were in a paddleboat halfway across a lake when a storm started to brew. As the wind and waves picked up, the boat’s rudder broke, and we could barely steer. It took a long time to get back to shore and for our anxiety to settle down.
Imagine how the disciples felt in the midst of a furious squall! I am sure that life jackets, as we know them, didn’t exist. Water was swamping their boat. And yet, in the midst of their exasperation and anxiety, they saw that Jesus was asleep. He was resting!
Have there been times in your life when you faced a storm and it seemed that Jesus didn’t even notice? Were there times when you were not sure whether you would survive?
The disciples decided to wake Jesus up. It wasn’t enough to have him in the boat; they needed him to be involved. So they woke him, and he got up and calmed the storm. Then he challenged them to really trust in him.
Are you in the midst of a storm? Invite Jesus into your storm and trust in him to be with you and do what is best.
Dear Jesus, thank you that in the midst of the storms of life, you are there. Help us to involve you rather than worry or be afraid. Today we ask for the calming of our storms, in your name. Amen.
About the author — Beth Fellinger
Pastor Beth Fellinger is a wife, mother, and grandmother who has more than 40 years of experience in pastoral ministry. She and her husband, Barry, have created a missional community in their neighborhood called the Ugly Couch Cafe. From serving coffee at a blue picnic table on their front lawn, to praying with neighbors, to hosting faith gatherings on a weekly basis, the Ugly Couch Cafe has grown—and nothing gives Beth greater joy than introducing people to Jesus.
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