BE STILL //

There's a story where Jesus is asleep on a boat in the middle of a storm

and every one else on the boat is pretty irritated//

"A great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But Jesus was in the stern, asleep on the cushion.

And they woke him and said to him, "teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" 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...

And they said to one another:

'Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?'"

I really love this story. I was reminded of it today while paddle boarding around the lake, a line from the song "it is well" came to mind

t h e w i n d & w a v e s

s t i l l k n o w H i s n a m e

Do we live as though this is true?

Is our relationship with Jesus a check and prayer list of needs and wants,

without truly being humbled by His presence

&

the tangible reality of His power and authority?

Do I pray believing that this is true?

I love the story of Jesus asleep on the boat because it's a basic human thing to sleep - I personally love to sleep, and there's something peaceful about sleeping on a boat...

but nothing peaceful about a boat sinking,

and nothing human about telling a storm to calm down.

I wonder if, when it says "he awoke", if he stood at front of the stern on one leg like the captain on rum bottle, with his arm stretched out and in a deep voice commanded

"PEACE YE WAVES, I TELL-ITH THEE BE-ITH STILL...ITH"

Or did he, in his human state of just woken up out of a deep sleep, stumble up

and calmly and confidently say "peace! be still"

In the moment of this thought today, I was feeling restless, I couldn't stop thinking, making check lists, remembering one thing, trying to figure out something else. I had taken time out of my day to reconnect with God, I was intentionally seeking Him. But I couldn't get myself to enjoy the moment I was in (and it was beautiful - laying out in the sun on my paddle board surrounded by nothing but waves, just waiting on Him), all I kept talking to him about was all I had to get done once I paddle my way back home...

And suddenly, this calming and peaceful voice was heard...

//& then he said // peace my girl, just be still