Storms and Peace

Mark 4:39 And waking up, Jesus rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm.

Storms and Peace

As many of you know, we live in South Carolina now, not far from the beach.  It is a land where hurricanes come more often then they did where we lived in New York, and people often ask what we will do when the storms come.  The practical answer has to do with the kind of storm threat, and the best advice we will get in that moment about the safest choice. The spiritual answer has to do with the fact that storms come all the time, into all of our lives, literally and metaphorically.

The storms we are facing now may be about the journey we are on with other people relationally.  They could be about entering a time of grieving. They could have to do with our jobs, and our sense of safety and stability.  We might be taking in the storms of the larger world, the horrors of violence, the frustrations of broken systems.

These storms and all the storms we will go through in life can bring fear to the center of who we are. We need to stand on the foundation of the one who can bring us peace. The peace of Christ meets us in times of raging storms and invites us to be still. We can hear the words of peace spoken to each of our hearts directly, breathing them in and out until we feel their truth giving us what we need to get to the other side.

Reflection Questions:

1)    What storms have you weathered in the past?

2)    Are you going through storms in your life now?

3)    What helps you find peace in the midst of a storm?

Prayer: Dear God, I need to hear your words of peace when I feel the storms come. Help me remember to listen and be still in my soul. In Jesus Name, Amen