This seems to be a tough time for many of my friends. One has been laid off for about three months. He has young kids and a mortgage to pay off. He was the only breadwinner. In his 40s, his job prospects are grim.
Another is a missionary in a foreign land. Someone snatched her handbag before her very eyes. It contained her passport. Malaysia has very strict laws about replacing lost passports. She may not get a replacement anytime soon. Her ministry, indeed her life has suddenly been thrown into limbo.
Other friends may not have problems as daunting as the two above. But often things just add up. Tough situations all seem to conspire to crop up together.
Suddenly there are demands at work, at home, and/or at church. There is so much that needs to be done. Suddenly it just gets a bit too much. You feel overwhelmed.
The waves are coming in faster than you can cope. Conclusion: The boat is sinking.
Like the disciples, we cry out, often quietly,(good Christians don’t get tired, good Christians never get doubts):
“Teacher, we are sinking! Do you not care?” Mark 4:39 REB
A number of Jesus’ disciples were seasoned fishermen. They had been through bad storms before. They knew what to do.
But now they were experiencing something that was beyond their abilities. I guess that is a lot like us.
We are pretty ok until we hit a situation or a combination of situations beyond our coping mechanisms. What should we do? What should we do when the fatigue and fear begins to set in?
No easy answers.
But I guess it begins by asking ourselves again just who is this guy asleep in the boat. Who is this person who is the Lord of our lives.
If He truly is the one who can command the sea and the waves with a word then just maybe we don’t have to be so afraid. If He can sleep through the storm then maybe He has things under control though it may not feel that way.
It just that sometimes we wish the waves weren’t that high.