Wave Journeys

One of the joys of living up in vacationland is the chance to see family and friends as they enjoy the area. We get to see family, especially from the Twin Cities a lot more in the summer. Our nephews came up to visit for a few days earlier this summer, and they brought their parent’s boat. Which is cool, because our boat is vintage and not working very well and needing another coat of paint (but that’s another blog). So we used it, several times. One day when we hit the lake the day that turned stormy. The 16 year old nephew was driving—fast—right into the storm and the 5-year old was getting scared. When the rain started falling so did his tears.
The only comfort he got from his tough-guy uncle (me) was “You’ll be fine” as the rain stung our faces in the front of the boat. This was so comforting to him that he cried harder.
Finally my wife called him to the safety of her arms in the back of the boat and to the comfort of a soothing lullaby. He stopped crying, and the sun came back out and all was right with the world again.
The journey we are on as people of God sometimes looks like that little episode. At church we learn about Jesus sharing that same kind of comfort with his followers. We know --and we try to share-- that the loving power is offered to all of us, even if we head too fast into the storms of our lives.
Why do we head right for the storm, even when we know better? The 16 year-old boat pilot did not have the benefit of experience and wisdom, so he can be excused (except for his tendency to want to torture the 5 year-old a little). But even old guys like me can be found squinting our eyes in the face of the blowing rain, thinking we need to be brave or just because we are stubborn. Jesus calms the storms, even calls us to walk out into the midst of the crashing waves. But not alone. And not as an exercise in bravado. He calls us to His side in the midst of the storm.
That’s a journey we can handle.
I’m on the journey with you.