Disquieting times.  What else can one say about today?  Great uncertainty exists for all of us.  Fear is difficult to keep at bay. For some, the storms may only feel like they are lapping at their knees, but for others, undoubtedly, it must feel like the waters are already up to their chins.  Where is the Good News in times like today?  Is there Good News in times like these?  Yes! Yes!  If you will allow me, I would like to share three passages of Scripture that mean so much to me.  Let’s begin by thinking about Isaiah 43:1a-3a.

Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
I have called you by name; you are mine.
When you go through deep waters,
I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
you will not be burned up;
the flames will not consume you.
For I am the LORD, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” NLT

God begins by giving us an often-stated command in Scripture, “Do not be afraid.”  That’s easier said than done for most of us, but then He gives us reasons that allow us to let go of our fears.  God knows us – He can call us by name, we belong to Him.  He has given His only Son to ransom us, and in addition God says He will go through the storms with us.  As Pastor Deborah so powerfully shared in her sermon on “Hope”, none of us are exempt even as Christians from suffering, but I find great comfort in knowing that the Creator of the wind and the waves goes with me through the storms.

Which brings me to a personal story from my life and the second verse for these days that I would like to share.  I’m retired with a 401K (or as a friend said a 301K now) so I’m not worrying about a job or income, and my kids see that I don’t have to get out in the pandemic.  But let me share a time about 25 to 30 years ago.  It was a time in my forties when I was about mid-career as a pilot at United.  As pilots we were required to go through recurrent training and testing every six or nine months.  When the testing came with the oral and the flight check, severe dread would begin several months before to envelop my life and cloud my thinking.  By the time I was set to go to the training center, I literally would have enjoyed facing a firing squad more.  I felt trapped.  I felt like I had too much time invested in the career to start over, and really no training or skills to do anything else.  I had to go.  I got good scores, but that did not stop the fear and dread the next time until Jesus worked in my life over a period of four or five years.  The verse that He used to speak to me was Mark 4:39.

And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.  ESV

You know the story of Jesus calming the storm.  It is told in all three synoptic gospels.  The storm is beginning to swamp the boat, and the disciples are terrified, but Jesus, the Creator of the wind and waves is merely rocked to sleep by the waves.  Just three words from the Creator, “Peace! Be still!” and the storm was stilled.  Over time Jesus convinced me that if He can command the natural elements (and He can), He can command my soul with the same authority and effect.  “Peace!  Be still!” and the storm is stilled.  Present tense – today!  In these days let’s skip a newscast or two and spend the time letting Jesus speak those powerful words into our lives, our minds, and our spirits.

Finally, as Max Lucado says let’s concentrate on “where to stare in a storm” as we read in Matthew 14:22-33.  He tells the story of going to the cardiologist.  He is sent to the doctor’s office to wait.  He looks at the walls with all the diplomas denoting the education and competency of the doctor.  He feels pretty good until the nurse comes in and asks him to review a sheet while saying, “The doctor will be in shortly to discuss it with you.” “There are a lot of negatives on the sheet.”  Now he is not so confident in his situation. He must redirect his gaze back to the wall instead of the sheet with his diagnosis. Peter found the same thing in the story of Jesus walking on the water.  He could see Jesus coming and asked to be allowed to go meet Jesus.  Jesus said, “Come.” All was well until Peter began to pay more attention to the wind than to Jesus; that’s when he began to sink.  It was true for Max, it was true for Peter, it is certainly true for me and I suspect you too – where we stare in a storm makes all the difference in how we get through it! Eyes on Jesus and we prevail. Eyes on our circumstances and our faith perishes.

If we can all keep our eyes on Jesus, let Him speak, “Peace! Be still!” into our lives today and realize as God says in Isaiah that we will never go alone through the storms of our day, we will have a great chance to fulfill God’s command, “Do not be afraid.” 

Shalom,
Mel Griffin, Staff-Parish Relations Chair

(Pictured are Mel and Carolyn Griffin)