By Sarah-Kate Duran
In Mark 4, there’s a story that is commonly known. After teaching to huge crowds by the sea, Jesus tells His disciples, “Let’s go over to the other side.” So, they all got into boats and proceeded to go across the sea of Galilee. Well, while they were at sea, a fierce gale of wind began to wreak havoc on the sea, and the waves were breaking over the boat. The swelling waves were crashing into the boats and filling up the boats with water. As all the men were freaking out, you know where the Messiah was? Literally asleep in the stern on a pillow. No joke. The guys woke Him up, “What are you doing? Do you not care that we’re all going to die right now?” I can see Jesus calmly roll out of His sleepiness, stand up, and rebuke the wind and command the sea to calm down and be quiet. The wind and waves obeyed immediately and chilled out. He turned to His friends and said, “Why were you freaking out? Where’s your faith?” I can imagine Him going on and saying, “Did you forget I said to you before our sail, ‘Let’s go to the other side?’ If I knew we weren’t going to make it, I wouldn’t have said that. Pay attention. Have more faith in My word.” The disciples were awed by the whole scene that had just taken place and were like, “Who in the world can make the wind and sea obey?”
Have you ever heard of the metaphor of the buffalos and the cows? Both buffalo and cows can sense when a terrible storm is coming. Cows take off and run away. As cows run away from the storm, they get tired and worn out. Because they are trying to outrun the storm, they end up dealing with the storm way longer than they must. The storm is going to catch up with them, and they’re going to be too exhausted to thrive in it.
On the other hand, buffaloes sense a storm coming, and they run into the storm. That initial entrance into the storm might be terrifying. Standing in the eye of the storm for a short while might be insane. It will be intense. The buffalo is not waiting in dread and fear of the oncoming storm when he faces the storm head-on. On the other side, he is happy and rested and can enjoy what the storm brought — water, green grass, a clean slate. He knows that the faster he faces it, the faster he will get through it.
When the enemy of our souls comes at you and whispers in your ear, “You’re not strong enough to handle this storm.”, you boldly tell that little runt, “I’m a child of God. I have nothing to fear. I am the storm.”
Don’t forget God is the same yesterday, today, and forever; the wind and waves still obey Him. God always works it out … we just panic first.
Sarah Kate Duran is an independent columnist for The Atascadero News and Paso Robles Press; you can email her at alphabeth@tcsn.net
