When To Quiet The Storm

Some big storms came through last night. It's always interesting when you stay up for the 10 o'clock weather report and the weatherman seems a little tense. Last night was like that. I have storms on the brain.

Jesus didn't pay much attention to storms, did He? He never blessed a storm. He did one of two things: calm it or sleep through it. Okay, okay... He probably walked through a couple on the sea, but that's not the point.

I don't want to discuss whether or not you or I can calm a storm - I believe we can, so I'll leave it at that. The question in my mind is... when do we calm a storm, and when do we just sleep through it?

Why calm the storm? If the storm isn't bothering you - why calm it? If you can sleep through it, sleep through it! You say - well - what if it 'is' bothering me. What if I'm scared of the storm? Then you can't calm it. You can only impart (give away) what you carry, and if you carry fear, fear is all you can give. So when can you calm the storm - and when do you?

If you can sleep through the storm, you can calm it. But you only calm it to bring peace to someone else. If you are really hating this storm analogy - put your own crisis in the blank.

You've been with the company for 25 years and have endured at least that many test fire alarms. The alarm goes off. You lock the computer, grab a piece of gum and your shades, and casually head for the parking lot. Meanwhile, the new hire - Bertha - is having a conniption because she has no idea what is going on. She's rattling like a chainsaw about tornado or nuclear assault and it throwing all of her worldly possessions into her purse. What do you do? Do you sleep through this storm - ignoring Bertha? Or do you calm her storm?

As Christians, it's time to realize our power in Jesus and to be about the Father's business. If that means resting while the storm rages - that has its place. If it means changing the environment for those who cannot sleep through the storm, then change it and let God be glorified. (Luke 8:23, 24)