Still...a small voice

Stormy Weather

So, I am not a traveler. Seriously, the last time that I have been away, was August 2011 when we took Taylor 1300 miles away to school! I am a "stay-at-home" mom and I mean that literally!!

Well, a couple of weeks ago, my Aunt COLLEEN ( she's the same one who did the cookbook , there's your shout out) called and invited me to her home in Chicago for a weekend away. Really? A weekend just for me? Of course, I jumped at the chance.

I boarded the plane on Thursday and thought to myself, ' Ahh four days of R&R, no worries, no responsibilities, just FUN!!

 Of course, prior to my leaving, I was like a madwoman. I had ironed all the clothes for my husband and my son. I hung them in the empty closet with notes hanging from them, telling them which clothes were for which day. I had made lunches and left them in the fridge, ready to go. On the coffee table were 3 pages of notes, very clearly explaining the morning and evening schedule, hour by hour.

Anyway, I boarded that plane and thought, NOW I can begin my vacation. not a person to worry about but me!!

Can you say SANDY.....

No sooner did I arrive in Chicago, when I realized that Sandy was on her way. The storm was expected to hit upstate NY. As a matter of fact, my area was listed on the map as "Very Likely" to lose power.
This was not the rest and relaxation I was expecting. Immediately, I started to worry. I called my husband to be sure he was preparing for the storm. I told him to be sure we had water, milk, bread, flashlights, etc... I was a little panicked. ( needless to say he was not panicked and to be honest, I don't know if he ever did get those items). I was 700 miles away and I was trying to orchestrate efforts at home. I was making myself crazy. Then out of nowhere I heard...

PEACE BE STILL

It's amazing the power those 3 words had on me. What choice did I really have? First of all,I had no control over the storm. Secondly, even if I did, I was 700 miles away! I was wasting my time fretting over something that I could do nothing about.
 Have you ever been there?


Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm...Mark 4:39

I love this verse, it shows the awesome power of the Lord. He was asleep on the boat while everyone else was fretting about the storm. He woke up, said 3 words, and it was done, finished, the end!!!

OK, I want this type of intervention during the storms of my life. I want the Lord to step in, say 3 words and BOOM!!, problem solved.

Well, after he spoke those words and calmed the seas , he asked this..

 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”....Mark4:40

Wow, I don't know about you, but I never want God to ask me why I have no faith. However, I have to admit that there are times when I am in the eye of the storm, worrying and fretting and I call on Jesus and then I just keep "freaking out". That is not faith. That is not expecting God to show up. That's  like sending him an invitation, but locking the door. I want to leave the door wide open, so that He may enter into my storms, speak 3 words and calm the seas.

I am thrilled to report that Sandy had very little impact on my hometown, but it had a huge impact on me, personally. It brought those 3 words to life for me.

When you are facing the storms in your life, remember that Jesus calmed the storm with a command of 3 short words. Don't leave him asking if you have faith in Him and his abilities. Take him at his word.
He will not only calm the storm, he will bring you through it and you will be stronger on the other side.

By the way, I ended up extending my little getaway by 3 days and you know something? My son and my husband did just fine without me. They didn't starve, they didn't go to school/work unclothed and when I returned home, my house was CLEAN!!!! I think that there is another lesson in there for me, but that's for another blog.

Peace to you,
Shelly