Everyday Yes!! #2

Generally peaceful week except for the fact that I woke up Tuesday with that "dreaded pillow injury" Pastor Matt referred to a couple of weeks ago. :p Off and on all week, the back left corner of my neck has been uncomfortable down through my shoulder blade. I eventually ended up having Rob massage it for me since he was here with his own need to share anyway. And after all, balance requires something present on both sides. Rob had a death in the family, so prayers for his half brother and that group. The paperwork continues for Mike. We just trust God's provision in His timing, as always. His birthday is coming up this month, so watch the card and gift page for that. My daughter Jasmine's birthday is later this month as well. She and her bf, Bryan, have been taking Driver's Ed. in Maine, so that will help when they finish so they won't have to rely so heavily on rides from others. And just this afternoon, my parents stopped by for a bit. They need prayers for finances. I mean, we never had it easy even when I was growing up, but this is reaching "critical mass". They've been seeking less expensive housing anyway, but there's no putting it off any longer. So again, God's provision in His timing*.

I'm sure many of us have had at least some experience on boats in our lives. Personally, I can count mine on one hand. Two lake cruises, a 10 minute or so outing on my Uncle's pond while my Aunt caught dinner, and one trip out and back to the island-based Camp my son attended before the Summer started. The worst of those was the wind during the first lake cruise and all that happened was that my Captain's Hat blew off and we had to get another one. Nothing critical.

Pastor Matt shared about growing up on the Eastern Shore of Lake Michigan. He somehow won a small boat*. It was plastic, but large enough to put a small motor on it and go out on calm water. His Uncle helped him buy a 5hp Evinrude, and they set out for the dock. By the time they actually looked to the West, they were already a bit out from shore. A storm was clearly imminent!! Neither one was quite sure they would make it back to the dock. (they did) lol

So today's message involves a boat and a storm. (Did you guess already??) :P lol

Matthew 8:23-27 New International Version

Jesus Calms the Storm 23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” 26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. 27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

_________________________________________________________________

Short passage today, but, as they say, "good things come in small packages"!!*

Some people may tend to only pay attention to God on Sunday and not give much thought to Him the rest of the week. They try to "put God in a box" or "bubble wrap" God as though He only belongs to Sundays. It's like He's the "good china" that only gets used for Special Occasions or something like that. We can miss so much by doing that. God invites us to spend time every day with Him, just as He did with Adam and Eve. Just as the message during our series on the Lord's Prayer covers the bit about "daily bread". God doesn't want or deserve to be put on a shelf and saved for days we "feel like" making use of His

presence.* As the wonderful old hymn, "In the Garden" says, "He walks with me and talks with me, He tells me I am His own..." (I'll include it below)

In this series, we are looking at how Jesus shaped His Disciples in order to gain insight into how we should live as Disciples for Him today. Today's message from Jesus is this, "Be at peace, I am with you, and I am not troubled."

We all have storms in life. Relationships can be challenging and sometimes changed or lost. (Rob's family member) Jobs can be gained and lost*. Illnesses like Mike's COPD, housing for both Mike and now my parents; or finances in general like Carissa and Greg or Jasmine and Bryan as with many of us these days.

The first point to take note of in our passage above is this -- Jesus got in the boat first!! No matter what "storm" we're facing, if we're Saved, Jesus is already in the boat!! Now if that isn't the best news of the Millennium, I don't know what else would qualify!! Right!!?? (really, best news EVER, but, y'know) :D All we need to do is join Him in the boat. If He's there, then that's where we need to be. He invites us into His boat by prompting of our Spirit.

Two of the "boats" Jesus invites us into are these --

Forgiveness -- Numerous places in His teachings, Jesus encouraged His followers and listeners to "forgive those who hurt you" or "despitefully use you", etc... Again, going back to our Lord's Prayer series, He includes it in the pattern for prayer. And it's important to remember that it's not about excusing the behavior, it's about clearing our hearts from the bitterness resulting from it. Also, asking forgiveness for our own failures doesn't "make God excuse our sin", it just means that we are acknowledging the forgiveness already offered. It clears our conscience from our missteps.
Give the cloak/go the extra mile -- In Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, He talks about walking in love toward others. Matt. 5:40 and Luke 6:30, Jesus instructs His listeners to give their coats in addition to their shirts if they are demanded of them. He tells them to go two miles with someone if they ask you for one mile. Jesus was building faith in people to trust in Him no matter what the circumstances. He wants us to reflect his generosity and caring spirit to others so that He can be seen in and through us. If someone asks for a favor, do what you can and maybe a bit more. If someone needs you to spend time with them, spend longer than is requested. Giving of ourselves is the best way to show God's love to and for others.

The second point to notice in our passage is that Jesus didn't promise fair weather* when He got in the boat. He was not a Weather Man or Tour Guide. In getting in the boat, all Jesus was guaranteeing was His presence with them. In the midst of a storm that had the professional fishermen among them fearing for their lives, Jesus slept!! He was not concerned about the weather, and He was showing them that they didn't need to be either, as long as He was with them*.

And as Pastor Matt made a special note of, this was not just your average "Sunday afternoon 'dad nap'". This was "bone-tired" after a full day of ministry "full-on" sleeping*!!

If we explore the reasons why Jesus was so calm, we make the following observations --

Jesus knew Who He was -- The very next story in our Bibles is when Jesus dealt with the two men possessed by demons when He sent them packing into the pigs*. The demons knew fully well Who Jesus was and ran screeching!! The demons literally yelled at Jesus saying that He was the "Son of God" and that He was tormenting them, "before the time*". Of course, Jesus already knew, and that's why He wasn't worried. The Disciples were still learning about Jesus and so they were trying all they could in their own knowledge and power to gain control of the boat. It would be a safe bet that they were waking Jesus up to help row or grab a rigging or something. They were understandably awed by His calm demeanor and ultimate control of the elements. I have to think that any of us would have been!! I mean, when all He had to do was tell the wind and water to "calm yourselves!!" That's gonna win a "Golden Buzzer" on any talent show you could name!! What was, and is abundantly clear, is that Jesus isn't like any other. If we are to reflect God's image in this World, we have to know Whose we are and have peace in it.
He knew why He was here -- As the following story of the Demoniacs also demonstrates, Jesus ultimate purpose in obtaining our redemption was not yet fulfilled. It simply wasn't "His time" to die yet. He could rest easy (and even sleep through a storm), secure in this knowledge. This was another way in which Jesus was shaping them, and in turn, us. He was reminding them that they could find peace in His presence. They had been so distracted by the storm that they panicked rather than "riding it out" because Jesus was with them. How often do we do the same thing when we encounter "storms" in our own lives?? We get so distracted by our problems that we forget God is there with us. We try to take control of things on our own. We can be secure in the knowledge that His purpose is still being worked out in us and through us, and therefore find peace as we rest in Him.

Our response to Jesus' invitation to join Him in the boat lies in choosing peace*. There are a variety of ways we can act on this every day.

Notice His nearness -- If you get distracted or overwhelmed by "storms" in your life, or even just the normal "busyness" many people are involved with. If we just take a moment to slow down and observe the beauty around us, it can help to soften the hardness of heart we may have developed by a lack of focus on Him. George Strait's song, "I Saw God Today" comes to mind. I'll include it below.
Spending time in Scripture -- The more we engage with Scripture, the more we will be "in tune" with God's Spirit and know what He wants us to do. A paper Bible is very helpful in this because it involves more of our senses than a phone or computer. We can highlight and make notes in the margins or a notebook. (granted, I guess there's an option to highlight on some Bible Apps, but it's still not the same as pen and ink)
Prayer -- I get it, sometimes prayer can feel "boring" compared to more "exciting" worship activities like singing*. But the practice of quieting our minds is important to receiving from God what He wants us to do about certain things that may not be specifically covered in the Bible. You know how sometimes just sitting quietly with a friend can be helpful, and even therapeutic?? Try it with God!!
Community -- Connection with Godly people helps us to either stay focused on Him or re-focus us when we need it. I realize there are some out there who don't attend Church for various reasons or connect better with God in the woods or on the lake, but that doesn't automatically eliminate the possibilities for Godly fellowship. Strident individualism can cause vulnerability towards a lack of attention to God and His Will for us. Part of His Will for each of us is the peace that only He can offer.

Last week's message theme was that of leaving and pursuing/following. In order to pursue a closer relationship with God, there may be things in our lives that we need to step away from or reduce. Likewise, in pursuing peace, there are things that may be prevalent in our lives that produce anxiety or even fear and anger. Social Media is literally designed to cause Anxiety/Depression due to it's connectedness to the entire World around us. The News stories we see either in our feed or in suggested posts brings issues or events to our attention that we have no useful outlet for. There's wildfires in some area across the Country or across the World somewhere... we don't know those people, they're too far away for us to minister to directly. What can we really be expected to do?? Sure, we can pray for them, that God will spare lives and send practical help to them to rebuild or whatever, but that's not always enough to appease our hearts or minds in our desire to help others in need. It's that frustration that can lead to the destructive influences of Anxiety and Depression. The expression "Ignorance is bliss" comes to mind as actually doing some good in this respect. When I was growing up in the 70's and 80's, we only heard about stories that actually made it onto TV or the local newspapers. (now it's the exception if something doesn't make the news) And there may have been a certain level of the same danger then, especially for people who were/are "news hounds" and feel a need to know everything that's going on.* But for people in my parents' generation and those who came before, everything was either in the local paper and/or word-of-mouth. If there was a volcano erupting in the Caribbean, chances of New Englanders hearing about it were slim to none. They couldn't be concerned about things they didn't know. In all honesty, the World may have been better of for that...

If we are in God's "boat", we can trust His purposes in our day as the Disciples learned to in theirs and know that He is always present and at work in the World and in our lives. His purposes are the same today as they always were; to rescue, heal, and free. We can trust that everything God does is aimed to our good because His love for us is abundant and unstoppable. He doesn't promise a lack of storms, only that He's riding with us. Get in the boat and choose peace today!! -- God Bless!!

Footnotes --

During my parents' visit, I couldn't help being struck by the timing of their news in comparison with today's message, and I told them so.
Pastor Matt's winning of the boat was a rare, if not isolated incident in his life. He's well-known for never winning ANYTHING!! (not even the ever-present "grocery line lottery") ;p
"Good things come in small packages" -- the same could, and has, actually been said about me. LOL
God doesn't deserve to be put on a shelf for when we "feel like" using Him. He's not one of Andy's Toys from the movie, who are, as Sheriff Woody says, "here when he needs us".
As to relationships, jobs, and finances, you're dealing with the "resident expert" here in terms of storms. (as I've said before, my job history bears a striking resemblance to Swiss Cheese) ;p
Jesus didn't promise fair weather -- the Classic Country song by Lynn Anderson, "I Didn't Promise you a Rose Garden" comes to mind here. (look for it below)
The Disciples didn't need to worry as long as Jesus was with them -- both in the flesh as He was then, and later via the Holy Spirit, which is what we can also rely on today.
"Dad nap" and "full-on" sleeping -- Pastor Matt shared a story here of a Sunday afternoon "dad nap" when his youngest was maybe 4 or 5. Matt could sense the presence of a face approaching closely to his own and finally felt a small finger poking him. His son finally got him to open his eyes and proceeded to inform him thus, "Dad, you're sleeping!!" (as if he had been previously unaware) LOL It was just too nice a day not to be outside. (much like today here, actually) (You're welcome for my sacrifice, btw) :D
Demons into the pigs -- I've always felt bad for the pigs in this story, being the animal lover that I am. :/
The fact that the demons were admonishing Jesus for harassing them, "before the time", makes it clear to me that they knew what was coming later. I've never heard that point brought out, I don't think...
"Choosing peace" -- as the theme of my blog is about "choosing joy", today's entry focuses on choosing peace. :)
Prayer boring/singing exciting -- those who know me understand how real this is for me...
People who are "news hounds" - my ex MIL (RIP) was one of these. Personally, it's never been a weakness of mine. The major exception to this for me was 9/11. I watched the rest of that day and most of the next. I had 2 small children at the time and it turns out I was just pregnant for the 3rd but didn't know yet.