Peace in the Storm

Peace in the Storm

Peace - Week Two - Tuesday

“And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was not full. And He was in the hinder part of the ship asleep on a pillow and they awoke Him and say unto Him, ‘Master, carest thou not that we perish?’ And He arose, and rebuked the wind and said unto the sea, ‘Peace, be still”. And the wind ceased and there was great calm. And He said to them, ‘Why are you so fearful? Why is it that you have no faith?’ And they feared exceedingly and said one to another, ‘What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?’” Mark 4:36-41

It was a blustery winter in Kentucky and I had been driving for maybe two years. I was still a teenager. Mom, who was a teacher, had ridden to work with some others so I could use the car that day. I was to meet her in the Kmart parking lot. Snow had threatened all day, enough that the bread and milk had disappeared from stores and along the road were men selling firewood out of the back of their battered pickup trucks. When I left to go get my mother light speckles of snow floated down around me like I was some figurine inside a snow globe. Nothing was sticking on the roads. I gathered my scarf and coat more snugly around me and headed out to get Mom. The drive would have been about 15 minutes on a good day but given the snow and overabundance of caution being used by all it took a good bit longer. The snow continued to thicken until I found my windshield wipers on high and my eyes trained on the tail lights ahead of me. When I arrived at the Kmart parking lot I found that it was a thick blanket of snow and I was eager to hurry home and play in the white fluffy stuff. Mom moved her things over to the car and climbed in the front seat and left me behind the wheel. We pulled out onto the white covered road and snow began to not only come down harder but was blowing around us in such a way it made it difficult to see even a small space ahead of us on the road. And yet, there was no safe space to pull off the road. Now my mother is not commonly given to hysterics but as we moved forward in the snow she began to talk faster and faster and her voice got higher and higher and no matter how calmly I talked to her in my best “I mustn’t startle you or we might both be hurt” voice her stress level continued to escalate. I must say that I am now the mother of a child less than four years away from driving and I understand that type of stress a little better than I did then. I told her I needed her to calm down so I could pay attention but she continued, going on about topics that required more attention than I could give at the moment…like our impending death. I calmly shushed her. Nothing worked so I decided I had to take drastic measures. I did something I had never had the courage to do before (nor since) and in my firmest voice told my mother to shut up. I could not believe the words had come out of my mouth. I had not been allowed to say those words to anyone, much less my mother. Clearly the words shocked her just as equally because she stopped talking completely and just stared at me. It was like a balloon that has been let go before tying that has been spinning madly around the room and then just drops to the floor limply. I immediately apologized to my mother and told her I could not concentrate on driving with her going on like that. We were both quiet until we were on roads that were more easily maneuvered again and then we began to laugh. My mother said that you always hear that you should slap a person who is hysterical but that those words coming out of my mouth were more powerful than the physical slap. I was just looking for some peace.

It seems Jesus’ disciples were in this same frame of mind. Jesus was getting some much needed rest in the boat but the storm around them was tossing the boat about and splashing water in to the point they thought they might not survive. So they woke Jesus and asked Him if He cared at all that they were all going to die. Can you imagine what Jesus thought when the disciples asked Him, whose whole mission on earth was to save them from death, if He cared what happened to them? They were in a storm and the circumstances were frightening and they couldn’t see past that. Jesus stepped up and told the wind and the waves, “Peace, be still” and they immediately calmed. Jesus looked at the disciples and asked them why they were so afraid….why they had no faith. Sometimes life feels a lot like that and this season of peace, goodwill to men can often be the most chaotic time of the whole year. It may be a time when finances are particularly difficult. It may be a time when you have to interact with difficult family members that you can manage to avoid the rest of the year. School is out and there is a lot of quality time between the immediate families…sometimes a bit too much. It is a time of year when families of children with special needs or those with serious illnesses are reminded of wishes that they normally keep tucked away in a quiet place in their heart. It is a time when we often need to stop and hear the words of Jesus, “Peace, be still” and let him calm us in the midst of our personal storm. We need to realize how deeply He loves us and that He has it all under control.

Discussion Question

What storms has your family weathered this year? How did you find peace? What storms are you still in the midst of? What can you do to remind yourself to find peace that goes beyond understanding while you celebrate Him this season?

Family Activity

Near your front door have a basket with scissors, a marker, green construction paper and tape. As guests come to your home this Christmas season, have them take a moment to trace around their hand, cut it out, and write on it their Christmas wishes for others for this year. Have them sign and date it and tape it to the back of your door. You can shape these as a Christmas tree or a wreath. This activity tends to get everyone thinking about the things that really bring peace to our hearts throughout this hectic season.