By this point, you may have seen pictures from the Elementary and Preschool Christian Day Camps that’ve been going on (please keep our middle schoolers and volunteers in prayer this week as they head to Saulsbury!). There have been a bunch of activities the kids have loved, but one of the favorites has proven to be fishing.
Unfortunately, this year we had a bit of an accident, however. One of the campers fishhook got stuck in the arm of another camper. Now, most often, this would be reason for a child to freak out. But instead, the camper – Lydia – was as calm as a cucumber. She knew that she couldn’t fix the situation on her own, and she knew that thrashing around would only cause more harm and damage. So, Lydia chose to remain calm, and she chose to trust those in authority to help.
This past Sunday, as we explored the story of Jesus calming the storm on the lake, we made the connection that Jesus’ disciples would’ve had something to learn from Lydia’s response. In fear, the disciples cry out to Jesus. Which, on some levels might suggest a lack of faith. But in the moment, once they recognized that they couldn’t solve the problem on their own, even they reached out to one who had more authority than they (indeed, the one who has authority over all things!). And in that moment, even there – in the boat, in the midst of the storm – Jesus proved to the disciples that God was present, and the disciples were given a front row seat to witness what God could do for them.
For ourselves, whether we find ourselves amidst calm or troubled waters,God also comes to meet us right where we are. God doesn’t chide us for the level of faith that we do or don’t have. But, God does desire for us to trust, rather than turn to anxiety, so that we don’t hurt ourselves even further.
So trusting that God is with us, what would it be like for us to seek out our Teacher – our Lord – who is in control of the earth, the sea, the sky and all there is? What would it be like to entrust ourselves, the ones we love, the church, and even the world, into the hands of the one who was there even as the foundations of the earth were created? Indeed, what would it be like to be a Lydia – remaining relaxed in trust – even as the storms rage?
To trust in such a way won’t be something we can “achieve” overnight, not even something we can do on our own. But as we, like the disciples, follow after Jesus, we will experience for ourselves what the Lord can do, and we will be invited to witness the one whose power is over all that is.