Peace

Matthew 8: 23-27 -  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.

As I attempt to sit and spend time with God, the noise of my house, doors closing, microwaves running, chatter and work happening, draws my attention and ears away.  There is a pull to my nervous system saying I should be engaging and working.  I really want to sit in silence away from the outside world, free from distraction, the listen to the voice of the Lord calling. 

As the world gets louder with its needs and schedules, even in this place behind a closed door, noise finds its way in, through the walls and crevasses.

Is it unreasonable to seek silence in a noisy world or calm on a lake’s surface when a storm is raging all around, or is this the place where the scripture comes to life becoming a lesson for today?  Is this the place where; though the storm rages, I can learn to lay down in the boat next to Jesus and rest?  Yes, I think so.

I wonder, as Jesus rested, did the sound of the wind blowing and crashing of the waves beneath the boat go silent?  Did Jesus even notice or hear it as he rested?  How does one sleep in such a violent storm?

Does a storm for some cause fear, panic and a fight or flight response, while for others it rocks them to sleep in the cradle of faith?  Can a room become my cradle and the noise become the rocker, if given over to the Lord by faith?

If conditions fail to be perfect and surroundings don’t bend to our needs, does it lend itself to be a catalyst for shaping us instead, despite its unyielding presence?

As the noise of the world becomes louder and the storms rage more violently, we can rest through faith, regardless of it all, knowing Peace in the presence of our Lord!