Calming the storm

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down, and it was completely calm. —Mark 4:39

On the wall in my office at church, I have a framed painting titled “Jesus Calms the Storm.” I walk past it daily. I sit at my desk, and there it is, right at eye level, dominating the wall with its depiction of that moment when Jesus speaks peace into chaos. Today, as I looked at the picture, I felt a deep sense of gratitude.

This scene, taken from Mark 4, shows Jesus and His disciples caught in a sudden, violent storm on the Sea of Galilee. The disciples are panicked, waves are crashing over the boat, and they fear they’re about to drown. But what is Jesus doing? He’s sleeping through it all. Imagine the scene: while the disciples scramble in terror, wondering if they will survive, Jesus rests. They wake Him, crying out, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” (Mark 4:38). And with perfect calm, He asks, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Then He stands and speaks: “Quiet! Be still!” Immediately, the wind dies down, and a profound calm replaces the storm, as if it had never been there.

How often do we feel like those disciples, tossed around by the storms of our lives, wondering if Jesus is even paying attention? It's easy to question, “Jesus, don’t you care?” But even in those turbulent moments, Jesus is there. He never left the boat, and He never leaves us. In fact, He was resting because He knew that God was in control, knew their journey’s end, and knew the storm was only a passing moment.

As I look at that painting today, I’m reminded: Jesus sees you, even when you feel unseen. You may be in a storm, but He is with you, and He is not leaving. If Jesus can rest in the middle of the storm, you can rest too—because He is in the boat. He’s in control, and He will not let you go.

So, let this truth encourage you: Whatever you face, you are not alone. When life feels chaotic, look to the One who calms the storm with a word. Remember, He’s in the boat with you, and if He is at peace, you can find peace too.

"Daily"

Psalm 68:19: “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.”

I love this verse!  It reminds us that God, our Savior, carries our burdens not just on Sundays when we gather to worship, but daily—every single day. God is continually at work in the smallest and the heaviest of our burdens.

Reflecting on this, I’m reminded of countless times in my life where I was weighed down by personal pain or by the heartache of others. In those times, though I didn’t always feel God’s presence or consciously question, “Where are You, God?”, I can now look back and see how God was lifting those burdens. Sometimes it felt almost miraculous, and other times, solutions unfolded gradually, as if things simply “worked themselves out.”

Years of walking this journey with God have taught me that even in the darkness, when I feel most alone, God is there, carrying what I can’t manage.

Have you ever felt like that? Where the burdens you feel are just pressing down on you? I hope you will know that God is already working on them. God’s fighting on our behalf, planning outcomes that are beyond what we could think, ask or imagine. God, the Creator of everything, our glorious Savior who conquered death, is more than able to handle anything we’re facing. We just need to be faithful and patient.

So today, whatever is weighing on your heart, remember that God is with you, bearing it. There is no burden too heavy for our Lord.

Today, may your hearts be filled with faith and hope, knowing that God will see you through.

Remembering

I remember vividly as a young child in public school reciting the poem In Flanders Fields.  Did you do that too? Followed by an afternoon of colouring pages of poppies during art time. We would do this every year after Halloween and before Christmas.  And to be honest I had no idea of the significance of what I was doing.  Today, as an adult I have a deeper, more profound understanding of why we stop and remember.

On Sunday at Amberlea we will pause to honour those who fought for our freedom, to reflect on the price they paid, and to acknowledge the benefits we gained through their sacrifice.

News outlets provide daily reason to appreciate the freedoms we enjoy in Canada. My heart aches for those living in countries where simply stepping into the street means risking one’s life. Or casting an election ballot threatens one’s personal safety. Or converting to Christianity is akin to signing a death wish.

A colleague told me of her recent conversation with a woman from Iran who had just received refugee status. “God has answered our prayers. If Canadian authorities had not said yes, then I would have returned to Iran,” she said. “And as a Christian, would have meant death.”

Just imagine her fear. Imagine her relief and gratitude. Oh, the freedoms we take for granted in our land.

On Monday, as a nation, we will pause to reflect on the freedoms we enjoy at others’ expense, but let’s also remember the sacrifice Jesus made for humankind.

Hebrews 10:19-20 says, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place.”

Jesus’ sacrificial death paved the way for us to have access to God. Because of what He’s done, we can know with certainty that our sins are washed away. We can enjoy moment by moment fellowship with the Divine. We can bring our concerns and needs to Him in confidence believing that He’ll care for us.

Let us never take our freedom for granted nor the price that Jesus paid so that we might enjoy spiritual freedom, too.