The idea of chasing a storm may seem a bit strange. Storms can wreak havoc on entire communities. They can level cities and demolish landscapes. But there are people who will devote large portions of their lives to chasing down these storms and watching them. They do it so that they can learn more about them. Sure there’s a thrill of the hunt but for them there’s learning to do. Wind speeds, changes in direction, rainfall amounts, pressure changes are some of the things for which they look.
In our lives there are storm chasers as well. Not the barometric pressure changing storms, but life storms. From illnesses to poor choices, we have storms brewing all around us. And just like the weather type of storms have chasers, there are those around us who like to chase us through our storms as well.
Some storm chasers like to learn what made us fall. Others chase our storms to accuse us for our wrongs. Still others chase us through storms to help us clean up the mess we make. There are a few things that we need to keep in mind when going through the storms of life…
1. Hang on – I know that this may seem a bit obvious but it never hurts to state it anyway. In the midst of a storm we so often get distraught with the fears of potential outcomes that we simply let go. We give up all too easily. One of the challenges of the storm is to hang on in the midst of it. No matter how bad your storm right this moment hold on tightly because it will soon be over.
2. Wake up the sleeping passengers. I believe that our lives are a lot like a boat going through the seas of life. That means, sometimes the waters are calm and peaceful but other times they are choppy to say the least. If you’re in the midst of a storm know that you’re not alone. Sometimes those going through life with you are simply sleeping. If the storms rages just wake up the sleeping passengers. There’s a story in the bible about a group of men caught in a storm while Jesus slept. When they realized that the storm was more than they could handle, they woke up their sleeping passenger. Sometimes there’s comfort in knowing that you’re not alone in the struggle. When your life gets too hard for you to go alone, invite someone to ride in your boat for a while. There is safety in numbers.
3. Listen for the calm in the storm. In that story when Jesus was sleeping in the boat something strange happened right when it looked like all hope was lost. Jesus woke up and spoke. Our lives aren’t any different from that boat tossed by the wind and waves. We’re no different from the panicked disciples frantically trying to bucket water out of their sinking boat. Which means that if Jesus was willing to speak calm into their storm, he certainly is willing to do the same for you and me. We just need to ask him.
Are you aware of the place that Jesus has taken up residence in your life? Even if you’re not a person who is in to the whole church thing, Jesus has placed himself in your boat. If you’ve never talked to him or even read about him, he’s still there. Sometimes he’s just sleeping in the boat leaving you well enough alone, waiting for you to call on him. So the next time you’re life storm seems too much to handle, why not try something new. How about you wake the sleeping passenger and listen to the calm that he can bring to the storms of your life.
Jesus desires peace for your life and mine. He wants us to know of his presence every day. He wants us to invite him into the scary moments so that he can tell the storms of our life to silence the same way he did for the disciples in the Bible. Don’t look at the wind and the waves in the midst of your stormy moments. Look to the one who has the ability to silence them with a single command.
Leave a Reply