Dear Friends:
Before I move on to show you the right side of the chart, I want to interrupt with an epiphany I had at a recent women’s Bible Study I attended on the miracles of Jesus. But let me back up several years to tell about a life event that became a model for me in my relationship with the Lord.
I moved to Colorado Springs in 1999. One of my favorite things to do was to walk in a local park as I began learning how about this beautiful city. The park was set down in a valley and had a large oval open area bordered by a sidewalk used for running and walking. One particular day, I came up over the top of the hill and as I looked down into the center of the park, I saw a woman with two German Shepherds. One of the dogs walked by her side, the other lay in the grass watching the other dog and her. As I got closer, I realized that neither dog had any leash. As other dogs were racing around, barking, or being walked, these two dogs were riveted by their master, watching for, listening to, and following every action she made. Nothing averted their attention; nothing was more important to them than her even with the chaos and possible threat around them. This became a visual to me in my relationship with the Lord and years later, when I recalled this scene, I began to ask God to create in me a heart like these German Shepherds in my relationship with Him.
Now, let’s fast forward to last week’s Bible Study. We were studying Mark 4:35-41, which is the story of Jesus sleeping in the boat while a storm raged. The disciples were terrified and waking Jesus up, they asked him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” (v. 38) As we were talking about this, I was struck with the thought that perspective is a very powerful dynamic in a human’s experience of the world and events. Their perspective of Jesus was that he didn’t care. But what if their perspective was “He’s modeling for us how to experience chaos and threat around us!” This would have made a huge difference in the disciples’ experience of the storm. I made mention of this to the ladies in the study and I said that this was very timely for me in light of a chaotic event going on in my life. I said, “In taking the perspective of Jesus modeling for me how to experience threat and chaos, I picture myself in the boat right now watching Him and telling myself, ‘You’re calm, I’m calm; You’re calm, I’m calm; You’re calm, I’m calm.'” Even as I said this in the study, I could feel my body relax, my heart settle down.
As I have further pondered this idea, I realize that maybe the disciples and I missed the biggest lesson about the boat in the storms and chaos of life by thinking that the only way we can experience peace is for God to change the circumstances. In this story, Jesus did change the chaos by calming the storm. But what if they (and I) missed the greater lesson in capturing the calm in the midst of our storms by following Jesus’ lead. Jesus wasn’t worried or fearful then nor now. What I fundamentally believe is that absolutely nothing in life can thwart God’s plan. That’s why Jesus was so calm because He intimately knew God would use this and all events in His life.
God isn’t worried…..He’s calm, I’m calm!!
I have spent the last two weeks, every time I have become concerned or overwhelmed by events that threaten me, to capture the calm by picturing Jesus at peace and me following His lead (You’re calm, I’m calm; You’re calm, I’m calm; You’re calm, I’m calm!). Instead of believing He doesn’t care, I have chosen to believe He does care and will use the circumstances in my life. I have chosen to capture his calm as my own and this had made a huge difference in my experience of personal, national, and world-wide events in a much more peaceful way. I think this is a huge tool in making me like the German Shepherds!
As you go through your own storms, chaos, or threat, I challenge you to believe that God cares and to capture the calm by following God’s lead. I can say without reservation that this has changed my life, and who knows, maybe I can pass on to others to learn how to capture their own calm by witnessing me capturing mine in these uncertain times!
Blessings to you in your journey toward healing!
Shari