Coming through the storm

It was pointed out to me recently that Jesus walked on the water during the storm, not after it. Somehow, through all my years as a Christian, that point never hit me. He didn’t calm the seas and then walk on the water; He walked during the worst of the worst.

A seed begins its growth in the dark. The light is hidden, out of sight somewhere overhead. The tender plant works hard, pushing aside impossibly large clumps of soil before reaching the goal.

If we wait for the calm, we will never move. If we wait for enlightenment, we will never see the goal. We can stay as we are, wait for a better time or a better season to make a change, but the longer we wait, the more we wither. We have to step out in faith during the storm, and in the darkness of our spirit. For me, this means faith in action. Storms are part of my life, not my entire life, and darkness is not my destiny.

I recently watched the news as a man blew his hot breath on a small bird’s feet that were frozen to a metal pipe. And I watched the man release the bird and allow it to fly.

Many of us are facing storms. We want to curl into a ball and hide until it is all over. Our feet are frozen in fear. We want to lash out to God and ask why? Without the darkness we will never grow. Without the storm we will never experience the thrill of walking on water. We will never feel the warmth of the light as we gain new strength and soar into the clouds.

As for today, for some of you, life stinks. But Jesus lived there too, and He made a way for us to get through it. Trust Him. Jesus is your life preserver, your shovel. Grab hold of Him and keep walking! Ahead are better things!

Have a blessed week.

Regina