As I previously wrote, I was laid off from Flock right before Thanksgiving and found out my wife and I were having out third child a week later. Since then, the Portland area had a major snow storm that lasted two weeks and pretty much shut down the city with 22" of snow and ice.
This has been a pretty tough month in our household but I have tried to bear the burden. I am in the no man's land of trying to push hard and turn Virtus Designs into a business or going out and finding a job, all while our savings are running out quickly with tons of bills to pay.
We hadn't been to Church since the storm hit so this past Sunday was our first day back. We had a great message. The topic Mark 4:35-39
35 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.”
36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him.
37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.
38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.
40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”
41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”
The Disciples had been with Jesus for a while and had seen Him do so many amazing things. They should have known that everything would be ok because Jesus told them that they would cross over to the other side.
Our Pastor gave two points that shouldn't have given them peace.
1. They should have had peace in His promises.
We can always be sure that the Promises of the Lord will come to pass. Jesus told the disciples that they were going to the other side. That meant, they would make it to the other side. Jesus was in the same boat as they were. He was completely at peace, sleeping in the boat.
Their reaction to the storm was completely opposite. They freaked out. They panicked and woke Jesus up to tell Him that they were going to perish and that He did not care.
2. They should have had peace in His presence.
They had been with Jesus during several things and had never seen Him panic. He was always calm and they should have picked up on the fact that He was always in control.
We find ourselves in storms throughout our lives. There are two different types of storms, those that God uses to correct us and those that He uses to direct us. Both of them have the same intent to move us down the path that He has for us.
I find myself in a storm right now but I have learned not to panic. That does not mean I have always been calm in the middle of the storm and it does not mean I have been perfect in this current storm. It is a fitting coincidence that the situational storm in my life coincides with the "Arctic Blast 2008" storm here in Portland. This is on of the worst storms we have had in terms of snowfall. It made life difficult. It was very cold, extremely difficult to move around, and completely unexpected in December.
That storm finally ended and now life is going back to normal. Just like that storm, the storms in our lives come to an end. We don't like them. They are very uncomfortable while we are in their midst but I can say that every storm I have gone through has made me a better and stronger person on the other side.
This stormy season I am going through now will come to an end soon. My hope is that I can make it through knowing in peace that I will make it to the other side. I don't know what is on the other side and I don't know what will be lost in the middle but I know the Lord's ways are good and His promises will be kept. He promises to provide for our needs. Sometimes we mistake our needs with our wants.
With that said, I hope this storm ends soon and the other side comes quickly.
