Friday, April 20, 2012

The Storm

As families we go through many storms. A family is meant to help you, to hold you up. To give you encouragement. I don't just mean blood relatives either. A family is anyone who sticks by you through a storm, and comes out with you on the other side still holding your hand.

Do you have someone, or many someone's like this?

The disciples went through a few storms with Jesus. One in particular has really stuck out at me for the past month or so. It's a familiar story, you may have even memorized it but something really stuck out at me as I was reading it for maybe the millionth time. Do you know Peter was the only disciple to walk on the water? Can you imagine the faith it must have taken him just to get out of the boat?

"So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted."

In an instant that faith was gone though. Why? Because he looked up...but it wasn't the lightening or the thunder that scared him...it was the wind. Granted I'm sure on the ocean the wind can be crazy strong but the wind scared him. The waves, that he stepped out on to in the first place...scared him.

The wind and waves.

My family and I are going through a storm right now. Not nearly the size of the one Peter encountered I'm sure but nonetheless, my husband is laid off again. It's been a month, probably a little more than a month. He really enjoyed this job too. The man was a Christian, a Pastor and my husband was just beside himself with happiness that the man actually prayed before they ate and talked about God while he worked. Why all of a sudden did work stop...I ask myself this question over and over and over again a million times a day...why...but it didn't all of a sudden stop, it was pretty gradual. He's been off for about 6 weeks and just last weekend did the man use the term "laid off" until my husband had heard that term he was really dragging his feet on trying to find something else..fighting me tooth and nail but I could see it, see the time coming when the man would decide he was done with my husband and finally cut the string to the job.

I can relate to Peter. Can you?

I see the wind, the bills that keep coming in begging for payment before the end of the month. Unemployment still hasn't come in.

I see the waves, rent demanding payment in a week and money enough in the savings account for one more payment and still no replacement job in sight.

I take my eyes off Jesus for one second and all of a sudden I start to sink. Peter cried out, but before I know it I want to hide, sinking lower and lower, we must have done something wrong, Jesus must be angry with us..lower and lower...stress and tension take over and I start yelling at the kids more, all that hard work Jesus put into me gone in a second...lower and lower...until my head is under water and still my mouth seeled shut...Jesus won't help us, He's angry and and I haven't done anything right since this storm started...but all of a sudden a friend...a sister reaches out her hand and pulls me out just enough to yell over the wind and the waves, CRY OUT!



You see, family are the people around us...willing to pull us out if only just to free our mouth and remind us to cry out...don't turn away just turn to Jesus...cry out.

Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”

Jesus immediatley reached out to Peter, He didn't reprimand Peter for his lack of faith, He didn't gripe and yell at him for everything Peter did wrong...no...He IMMEDIATLEY reached out to save Peter.

Today I want to be your family. Your sister, your friend and if you're hurting I want to take your hand, lift you just above the water and remind you to cry out. Cry out sister and Jesus won't yell at you...He will immediatley take your hand and lift you above your storm and give you hope. He did it for me, He will do it for you. We are His.

If you would like to read this story, it is found in Matthew chapter 14.

"Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand." Isaiah 41:10

8 comments:

  1. Sister...you and I are in that same 'boat.' And...like you, I have tried the run and hide thing. It certainly doesn't work. Crying out to God is our only avenue!

    Thank you for reminding me!

    Have a blessed day and know that God WILL provide.

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  2. Isn't it wonderful that we have Jesus to count on? What would we do if we didn't have Him? I thank Him daily that He is in my life. We all have some sort of problems and if we would just keep the faith instead of looking away if just for a second. We can't run and hide but we can call on Jesus in the hour of need.

    Thanks for a wonderful post and blessings to you.

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  3. Beautiful encouragement sweet sister. God is there just waiting on us to cry out. I am praying for you and your family. Love you!

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  4. Thank you so much for sharing. I am in the same boat as you too. Unfortunately, our storm has been going on for three years. Any day I am fearful that we will get a letter from our mortgage company that we need to leave. The only place to go is to split the family up, my husband at one home, and me and my two daughters at another. My family will not take us in. We are to go to my husband's family, whom we are just starting to get to know after a long time. I am so discouraged these days. Thank you so much for this. I needed to read this today and God lead me right to you. Please pray for my husband. He is very discouraged and has a hard time going out to look when nothing happens. He has gone to several job interviews, then nothing. I know that God has brought us through these last few years and continue to carry us, but lately I am having more discouragement days than good ones.

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  5. Cathy, we will hold you and your family in prayer.

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  6. Cathy,
    My heart breaks for you and your family. I will definitely keep you all in my prayers. Just remember...God has a plan and a purpose for your family...and that plan and purpose will come to fruition IN HIS TIMING. Jeremiah 29:11 needs to be your verse during this 'mess.'

    Also...God promises never to give us more than we are able to handle. So...if you are going through a trial or situation you think is too much...remember that God apparently sees strength in you that you don't. If He sees it there, it must be there! Keep looking up and keep the JOY OF THE LORD through because you KNOW He is doing something special!!!

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  7. Where can I get a copy of the print on this page... the storm

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  8. where can I get a copy of the storm print

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