“Peace! Be Still!” — Mark 4: 39
It’s hard to sleep with at fifty pound golden retriever in your bed, but that’s how it was to be last Wednesday night. Our dog Finn is terrified of thunderstorms and fireworks and that night there were both, so he landed in the middle of us with his head between our pillows.
Dogs aren’t the only ones who need some reassurance to make it through the storms, which are always scarier at night. One of my favorite bible stories is the one where Jesus is sleeping in the stern of the boat when a nighttime storm comes up on the Sea of Galilee and the disciples are petrified. This must have been the mother of all squalls. Some of the disciples were seasoned fisherman. They were skilled at navigating treacherous waters, but this storm terrifies them. They feel as if they are going to die. Living close to Lake Superior we have an appreciation for what the disciples might have been feeling as they found themselves in this sudden storm with its mighty wind and huge waves.
In the story the disciples finally can’t take it any more. They wake Jesus up and yell, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” He looks at them calmly and says, “Peace, Be Still”. And with these words the wind, waves and worry calm down. I think this story is really about trusting the one who is with us always even when it seems that they are sleeping. The Holy One may seem to be sleeping but she is still in the stern, steering as we navigate our storms.
“Peace, Be still” are the words I often use for my breathing prayer in times of anxiety and worry. “Peace, Be still!” These words call us to trust we will make it through to the other side of what ever storm is happening in our lives. It is so uncomfortable being in the middle of the storm. At times we too may need to rest next to someone, or some being, for awhile. Faith is found in that quiet center that reassures us that God is there, steering even when all we hear is snoring. May you know peace this week as you make your way through the waves to the wonder.
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