Reflection for August 7, 2014

"But he was in the stern asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, 'Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?'"(Mark 43:38)

You ever have that feeling of being swamped.  When you are involved in a normal activity and yet things beyond your control are starting to overwhelm you, so that even the thing you are doing seems to be destined to fail.

You might ask for help if you're not alone and are willing to do so.  You might if you are a person of faith cry out to God.  And if you believe in God's imminence then it doesn't feel to foolish.

The disciples seem to be in such a pickle. Rowing should not be a hard thing for fishermen to do.  One would think they've been in a storm or two in their day.  And yet the only thing they can do is wake Jesus up.  What do you think they expected him to do?  Pick up a bucket and start bailing?  Grab an extra oar?  Certainly not what he did.

And maybe that's part of the message, when we cry out to God for help, we may be surprised what that help looks like.  And maybe the surprise comes because we ourselves didn't know what that help should be.

Blessings,
Ed