Brace yourselves!

Brace yourselves! Hurricane’s coming...

I peer from the windows on a shrinking landscape, swaddled in deep mist. Autumn trees flare into the thickening grey. Larch twigs droop, waving limply in the breath of wind, which is forecast to increase to gale force and possibly even hurricane strength before the day is through. The outlook is bleak and the light appears to waver.

Brexit; Trump; North Korea; Iran; Syria; Ukraine; Myanmar; Venezuela. Wildfires; hurricanes; floods; earthquakes; drought. 

I peer at a global landscape, swaddled in deep mist. Truth flares into the thickening darkness of fake news and alternative facts. Hope swirls forlornly in the tornadoes of doubt and confusion. 

Through it all, though, shines a beacon of light, the light of the world, burning brighter as the darkness deepens. I lift my eyes to the hills, (which at the moment, I cannot see, so lost are they in the mist).Where is the help we need?

Our help remains in the name of the Lord who has made heaven and earth. It’s time to see with the inner eye, through Holy Spirit specs, and focus on Jesus. 

Brace yourselves!

What lies beneath?

A few years ago we had the opportunity to snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Not being the best swimmer and never comfortable out of my depth, never mind out of sight of land, I prayed all the way out to the reef for peace not just to do it, but to really love seeing one of God’s great wonders of our world.

God answered that prayer in an amazing way and it remains one of the best experiences of my life.

One significant memory I have is the uncomfortable sensation of having choppy waves splashing in my face, propelled by the winds (which culminated in a hurricane later that night). That contrasted sharply with the utter peace and magical beauty of the underwater world when I put my facemask to the surface of the water and observed. It was breathtakingly beautiful and revealed a completely different reality, one in which life went on in an unhurried, lazy-looking way.

When storms and even hurricanes arise in our lives, it is so easy to focus on the choppy waters, the high winds, and the unknown but vividly imagined devastation to come. I am in such a situation now, but I am challenged, reminded, and calmed by the certainty that if I keep my gaze on Jesus, it is like looking at the peaceful culture of the underwater reef. Praising him for his love, his constancy, his presence, his participation in all that is going on to the benefit of all involved – whether or not I perceive it – encourages me to take a deep breath and renew my efforts to focus on him. 

The hurricane still hit Queensland that January day, fortunately after we had reached shore and disembarked from the boat! Jesus calmed his panicking disciples once when they were being tossed about in a violent storm, reassuring them of God’s care and protection – and then speaking peace to the wind and waves. 

He speaks peace to the storm in my life and yours today. The winds and waves may continue as events unfold, but if we can maintain the peace of Jesus deep within, we will have a significant victory. It may be a sign of Kingdom life which reveals Jesus to others.

Peas in a Pod

Hurricane winds have calmed and, though the temps have cooled and it feels as if summer is on the wane, it is pleasant enough to get out into the veggie patch and bring in some of the harvest.

Yesterday I scooped up peas, spinach, lettuce, rasps and blueberries (any wonder my back was sore?) but there is more out there just waiting to be brought in and dealt with. 

It’s so wonderful having food fresh from the garden, free of any sorts of chemicals or sprays, but ... It is a lot of work. Because I haven’t been out there checking daily, many of the peas I brought in were swollen against each other in the pods, coming out nearly square in shape because they had run out of room to grow. They are still delicious to eat, but not as delicious as the smaller, sweeter ones.

Jesus looked out at a field and declared to his friends that the fields were ready to be harvested but there were too few workers. (sounds familiar...) He, of course, wasn’t talking about the wheat or grain harvest but the spiritual harvest.

We look round our world today, in such throes of agony and despair, and see so much need. People in trouble don’t need a sermon, they need a hand. They need a listening ear and a compassionate heart and then some practical help. 

Peas only grow in the pod during the short (in Scotland) growing season before the plant begins to brown and wither. Then, whatever the size of the pea, the pod begins to wrinkle and dry up and the peas inside grow inedible.

The fields are ripe. Where can I be productive today in a practical way?

Brave

Life is a challenge. Whatever your circumstances, there are always problems popping up and it’s easy to give way to anxiety and sink into pity or even despair. Problems can paralyze, but God has not given us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of sound mind and of courage.

A few years ago we were in Australia at the Great Barrier Reef. Twenty-five miles offshore, out of sight of land, we were going to snorkel.

I’m not a good swimmer. I’m anxious when out of my depth and more than an arm’s length from the side of a pool. But I desperately wanted to enjoy one of God’s most extravagant creations, so during the twenty-five mile boat trip out to the reef, I was quiet, sitting and praying that the Lord would not just help me do it, but enable me to enjoy it.

What freedom! I absolutely loved it. The beauty of the coral below the water; the variety of gloriously coloured marine life and the ever changing terrain below water has to be experienced. Truly a wonder of the world. 

As a hurricane was on the way the waves were increasingly choppy, so when I lifted my face to the surface of the water, I got splashed and bobbed around. But then, lying my face flat again against the surface of the water, I became part of a peaceful and restful underwater wonderland. 

The water is splashing me in the face these days. A few things are causing turbulence. But when I remember that experience, I am encouraged to metaphorically put my face to the surface and allow the peace of God to draw me in. 

When I pull back out again, though the water may still be splashing me in the face, my spirit is calm and I can embrace life with courage, trusting in God’s faithfulness and love. 

I pray that whatever challenges you are facing, God will make you brave, too.