Special Eight-Week Series:
Calm in the Storm
Navigating rough waters in faith
Week 1: A Sudden Storm
by, Jarrett Meek, Founder/Pastor/Executive Director
Spanish Translation
The storm came up suddenly. Peter was not used to being taken by surprise on the water, after all he had grown up on the lake and knew it like the back of his hand. It had been a peaceful evening and a little excursion across the lake offered a perfect respite from the agitation of recent days. Normally the lake meant work for Peter; he was a commercial fisherman. But this evening, he and his friends were getting away. They had been in the middle of so much activity, controversy, excitement- Jesus had suggested a little retreat across the lake to rest and renew.
Just after sunset, the wind came up out of nowhere and clouds thundered in over the hills. Peter and the crew knew what to do; they trimmed the sails and steered into the oncoming waves to keep the boat from rolling. But it wasn't long before things started to get out of control. Despite a lifetime of experience, they were overwhelmed by the chaos of weather that was being unleashed on them. Waves crashed over the sides of the boat and it was all they could do to stay stay on their feet. Peter had been taught to have a healthy respect for the water, but for the first time in his life, he was terrified.
"Where's Jesus?", John shouted through the driving rain. Could Jesus really be sleeping through this? James shook him awake while the rest of the crew continued battling the storm with every ounce of strength they had. "Don't you care if we drown!", exclaimed James over the roar of the water. Jesus saw the fear and exhaustion in their eyes.
The storm went as quickly as it came. All it took were a few words from the mouth of the Living Word. "Quiet! Be Still!" The disciples had seen Jesus do miracles- healing, changing water into wine, casting out demons. As astounding as those things were, they somehow seemed fit into a different mental category- magic tricks, medicine, psychology. Giving orders to Mother Nature, stopping a storm in its tracks, telling the wind and waves to calm down- there was really no place to file this. As much as the storm had caused them fear, the power of Jesus terrified them even more. And, somehow, Jesus had expected them to be calm. "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”, he asked.
The world and the lives of nearly every human being on the planet have been overcome by a storm, friends. It's unlike anything we've seen in our lifetimes. It was sudden. It's overwhelming. It's threatening lives, healthcare systems, businesses, organizations, jobs, churches, and so many individuals and families. Where is Jesus?
As the founder and leader of a ministry and community centered around a vulnerable population, this is a sobering and turbulent time. The needs of our neighbors, the needs of the ministry itself and our employees, the needs of my own family- they all cry out together pleading, "where is Jesus in the middle of the wind and the waves?" And yet, I look back at my life and the history of our ministry and I remember the miracles and the astounding provision of God over so many years. If you look back at your life, hasn't He done the same for you?
If I'm honest, friends, I have to confess that I've shed tears in the last week. There is a deep sense of grief over things that have already been lost and things that will undoubtedly be lost in the future. And yet, in the midst of the chaos and uncertainty, I have an unusual sense of hope and expectation. It's the expectation that Jesus will stand up and say “Quiet! Be Still!”. That He'll do miracles again. That He'll provide for needs. That He'll reveal His loving-kindness and His power in new and astonishing ways. Do you have this hope?
This storm came on suddenly. Let's navigate its rough waters together in faith.