Look to the One Sleeping

Well, here we are almost a month after I wrote my last blog post. I’ve “committed” in my mind countless times to finally sitting down and writing this specific blog post because it was a lesson that was so impactful to me while Ed and I were going through the closing process on our home. Sadly, I have yet to actually sit down and write it until now! BUT, I’m so excited to finally get to share!! My prayer is that it encourages you today or any day you happen to come across this post.

When I got on my computer this morning, I opened up the blank draft that I had half-heartedly started yesterday to write this post titled “Through the Storm”, to see that I had actually started a different draft weeks ago titled “Look to the One Sleeping”…Needless to say, I liked this title better, so I opened this draft instead to start writing and this was the first line I wrote weeks ago on…

This week has been full of storms.

…and can I just say…that is RELATABLE! This week too, has been full of storms. And last week, and the week before, and I am confident that next week will have storms too. So, to me that just signifies that this lesson is so relevant and important to get, because we all have storms every. single. day. Can I get an amen?!

And that leads me to what I want to talk about. A couple of weeks ago, as I mentioned earlier, Ed and I were in the midst of some really frustrating conversations with our loan company the day OF the closing on our home. Yes, the day of. That makes me cringe just thinking about it again! The last week of our closing was dreadful. Every time I got a phone call from our loan company I would just shudder and fill with worry wondering what was wrong now and what else we had to figure out and fix. I will spare you the details, but basically we were told (on the day of our closing, about 3 hours before it was supposed to happen) that in order to keep our closing date, we would have to make 2 large money transfers. Well, with our closing being on a Wednesday, that was going to be extremely challenging! Especially considering that Ed and I have jobs that we work…I know, crazy, right?! Coupled with the fact that these sorts of things take time to go through and be processed. So after finding out the news, I was so sad and frustrated. In the middle of teaching, how the heck was I going to figure all of this out?! We had already had things scheduled and people coming to the house after we closed. It could NOT fall through! Filled with worry and so many emotions, I was reminded of this story and opened my Bible to read Mark 4:35-41, the story of Jesus calming the storm.

The first thing that always stands out to me is that Jesus literally said “Let us go over to the other side.” He told them where they would end up and God keeps His word! So the disciples (and myself) should have trusted that even when things were going crazy, that they WOULD get to the other side, just as Jesus said. Even if it didn’t end up looking or feeling like they thought the trip or journey would.

The other thing I see is that it says they “left the crowd behind and they took Him (Jesus) along.” And I just wonder, how many times do we enter into storms and leave Jesus behind? No wonder we struggle. I can tell you that there are countless “storms” that I’ve gotten into and realized that I didn’t even look to see if Jesus was in my metaphorical boat! I had the “I’ve got this” mindset. But in this case, Jesus was there. They took Him with them…and what was he doing? He was SLEEPING. I love that. It even mentions he has a cushion, so He was gettin’ real cozy! And it’s while He is sleeping that the storm begins and that the disciples begin to become fearful. So they wake Jesus up and ask “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” I mean, what a question. Rather than answer them, He gets up, rebukes the wind and waves and makes everything completely still and calm.

Now here comes the zinger. Jesus then turns to the disciples and says, “Why are you so afraid? Do you STILL have NO faith??” And the disciples are terrified by the power of Jesus that He is able to calm the storm they were in, just as they had asked.

And so I put myself in the story. I pictured Jesus right there with me on the way to the bank to make this money transfer, just praying that it would go through and be quick so that our closing didn’t fall through. I was filled with so much frustration, sadness, anxiety, disappointment, and worry. I asked Jesus, “Don’t you care if this falls through?? I thought this was what you wanted for us? Did I get it wrong?” And after the transfer successfully went through, I felt Him say to me, just as He did to the disciples, “Why were you so worried? Frustrated & upset? That is not what I wanted for you. Do you have no faith? Do you not trust me?”

And that just wrecked me. In that moment, I didn’t trust Him. All I saw was all of the problems or “waves” coming up into my “boat”, rather than the one leading me through the storm.

Here’s the thing, I forgot the promise just like the disciples did. Jesus SAID, that our house closing would happen. He didn’t say that there wouldn’t be storms along the way or issues that came up unexpectedly. He didn’t say the He would leave me. He didn’t say feel anxious and full of worry while we go through this storm. He wanted me to trust Him. To look to Him while He was sleeping, because He knew the end already.

The storms of life don’t go away, but neither does the one who leads us through them. God is with you today. He desires so deeply to lead you through your storm. To take your hand, to comfort you, for you to just trust that He has already said He will get you to the other side and see this to completion. He wants you to trust Him. To remember what He has told you and the promises that He has given you.

So where are your eyes today in the midst of the storm you are in? Are they on the one sleeping or are they on the storm? Where your eyes are will impact your response to the storm. Turn your eyes to the one sleeping!

God is good. He is in control and things will turn out the way that He wants them to. Trust Him even in the storm and know that He is right there with you, offering peace. Let Him lead you to the other side.