I went kayaking for the first time last week, and I must admit, fear gripped me momentarily during the trip. Kayaking was more difficult than I had imagined, and I fatigued quickly. To make matters worse, I got tired between a rock and a hard place – we were too far from the shore to return and the final destination was nowhere in sight. As I thought about where I was, and how I felt, I panicked. With my strength reserves quickly escaping, I didn’t think I’d make it through the trip.
How do you make it when you don’t think you can? How do you manage you emotions when all the signs say panic? The disciples in this familiar story had launched out into the sea – too far from the shore to turn around and not close enough to the destination – and a perilous storm met them. They were so discouraged by the storm that they thought they wouldn’t make it. In their alarm, however, the disciples show us how to make it when we think we can’t. They went to Jesus and told Him about the problem. He heard their plea, answered their request, and they made it safely to the other side.
Just FYI – I went to Jesus, just like the disciples, and this email is my testimony that I made it. Whenever (or better, before) life throws you a pitch you can’t hit, call your pinch-hitter – Jesus Christ. Nothing is too hard for God, so give your problems to Jesus!
God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1, New Living Translation)