Swaying violently, the ship appeared to be loosing it's battle with the sea. Men struggled with the sail, working feverishly to keep the boat upright in the midst of the sudden storm. Voices hollered out, their words lost in the wind, adding to the chaos. One man, clinging to the side of the impossibly small vessel, made his way to the bow of the boat. Waves crashed upon him, claiming his breath and his footing. For a moment he stopped, seeming to surrender to the fight nature had unleashed. What had went wrong? It should have been an easy journey. Only a few hours maybe. How did a simple trip across the sea turn into such a nightmare?
I am a Physical Therapist Assistant at a local hospital. I am blessed because even though I am not Catholic, the hospital is a Catholic organization and so prayer and God are a daily part of the hospital's workings. This week as I went through the motions of my job, which I love by the way, God spoke to me through a patient.
"I'm going to walk today," she said, "and I'm not going to cry." Her previous session with another therapist had ended when her emotions overcame her and she couldn't continue.
"Let's do it!" I said, praying silently her pain would not become too excruciating to stop her from reaching her goal.
As I helped her feeble body, modifying the task as best I could to ease her discomfort, she looked straight into my eyes and said, "There is a reason, there is a reason God is allowing me to go through this."
Her eyes began to fill up with tears as my heart filled with compassion. Assure her. That unmistakable prompting from God caused me to take a moment to stop our session. I reached for her hand, my own eyes welling up as I held the fingers so distorted with arthritis. Taking a deep breath, I let the words being formed in my mind speak to both our hearts, "God wants you to remember, when a storm blows in, storms of life that happen suddenly and don't make sense, he is with you. You are never alone. He is with you."
"And that is why I am not going to cry," she said, her eyes glistening and head held high. We then proceeded to walk quadruple the distance she had managed the previous day, laughing while her family related stories, telling of the spryness and strength of their matriarch.
I left her room with a smile on both our lips and a lighter heart. I know we are told often about how close God is to us, but I know sometimes I forget that and allow small things to steal a little of my joy. In study I came across one of my "strength building" passages. Matthew 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink: nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment...verse 32 ...for your heavenly Father knoweth ye have need of all these things... verse33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you... verse 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.
Finally reaching the bow, the man reached down with one hand, shaking the form lying miraculously still in the bow of the boat. A face peered calmly at him, not seeming to mind the torrential downpour from the sea and rain. "Master," the man hollered, " how can you sleep? We will surely die in this storm." A wave came crashing in causing him to release his grip on the side of the boat. He felt his body lifted up as he allowed the sea to take him, the strength to fight gone from him. Suddenly he was righted, and a hand tied a rope firmly around his waist, securing him to the boat. He watched as the man he called Master stood, seemingly unaffected by the storm.
With hand outstretched his Master spoke, his words quiet, authoritative, and amazingly audible "Peace, be still."
In the space of a moment the storm ceased, as suddenly as it began. Waters relaxed and lapped quietly against the side of the boat. Still holding firmly to his life saving rope, the man felt a mixture of awe and fear. Sensing his companions coming along side him, he knew they too were spell bound watching the Master of the wind and sea.
Turning, eyes of compassion and understanding greeted his, as his Master questioned, "Where is your faith?"
It was not a rebuke. Merely a call to belief. A call to understand. A call to recognize the Master of the World.
Shaking, the man bent his head, realization assuring his heart. Doubt washed away with the storm. For before him stood the Messiah.
Today my prayer is that I never fail to recognize that God is in control of my life. No matter what storms come my way. Those that are spiritual, and those that are just part of life, all are in the hands of the Master.
