Comfort and Joy!

I heard an excellent message on Mark 6:45-56 on Sunday.  The title of the message was "The Glory and Comfort of the Water Walker."  The basic points the pastor made were that:

1.  Jesus purposely commanded His disciples to get into a boat without Him, knowing a storm was approaching, and then went to a solitary place to pray. 

2.  The disciples likely struggled for hours, rowing against the storm and making little headway.   They were really struggling and it wasn't until they had been struggling painfully for quite some time that the Lord decided to step in and help them.

3.  Jesus came to the disciples in the middle of the sea - walking ON the water!  The Bible says He meant to pass by them but the pastor likened this to other portions of scripture where God "passes by" in order to show His glory - 1 Kings 19:11 ans Exodus 33:19-22.  He wasn't trying to sneak past them and beat them to the other side,  He intentionally drew attention to Himself so the disciples could see His diety - His power, His glory.  And it terrified them at first because they didn't recognize Him.

4.  Jesus tells them not to fear and to take heart because He, the I AM, was there with them.  His presence is a comfort because He is more powerful than the untamable sea.  

5.  He doesn't consume them for their weakness and lack of faith (as they - and we all - deserved) but in His mercy He speaks and comforts them.

This passage of scripture had always fascinated me but it's not the passage that I would have chosen to demonstrate the comfort in Jesus Christ that we can rely upon and that brings everlasting joy.

But now, I think it's actually almost the MOST perfect example.  We all go through hard things in our lives where we feel alone and abandoned by God.  But our Savior prays for us (John 17:9) and He watches over us (Job 34:21).  He sends us out into the world,  seemingly alone, where He knows we will fail because we are weak.  Several of the disciples were fishermen, skilled sailors and familiar with boats on the sea.  But they were incapable of rowing a boat from one shore to another because they weren't more powerful than the storm.  Regardless of how strong we are, we are not more powerful that the storms we face.   But God IS.  

God chooses to reveal His glory sometimes right in the middle of our worst storms and I think we often miss seeing it.  Our eyes are too focused on the chaos around us.  We might catch a glimpse of God's glory in a mercy here or a helping hand there but we often fail to truly appreciate the sovereign God who sent us the help we needed just when we were about to give up.

The disciples at this point couldn't truly receive the comfort Jesus offered because their hearts were not in the right place.   They were confused and shocked by what they had seen.  Jesus calmed the storm around them anyway and allowed them time to process what had just happened but it took a really long time for them to truly understand the truth about who Jesus was.

Without the storms, God's glory can't truly be revealed or grasped.  We must understand our own weaknesses before we can understand our need for God's strength.   And once we truly appreciate the glory of God, we can rest in the comfort His presence gives (because He is ALWAYS with us even when we don't sense His presence - Hebrews 13:5).  And with that comfort comes an enduring joy that can't be explained (1 Peter 1:8).

I Think I Appreciate Christmas More This Year

I never have been an overly anxious person.  I don't tend to worry about the future because I don't like to borrow trouble.  I take life a day at a time and attack problems as they come.  Especially since MS became a factor in my life - I just don't have the energy to waste on worrying about things that may never happen.   

But also as a result of MS, I get easily distracted and that is very frustrating.   I get irritated more quickly when I am interrupted and it makes me more anxious when someone steps in to get me to take a break because I know how much longer it takes me to do things now than it used to and I'm afraid I will either forget to do something or will run out of time to accomplish my list if I stop to take a break.  It has been a real challenge for me to balance accomplishing my task list and showing my family grace when they interrupt me - even when it's for my own good.

Speaking of worry and stress... last Christmas season was rough!  I have a list of projects and activities every year that I have always done and I like to do to make the season special.   I do lots of cookie baking, I buy all the Christmas gifts for everyone in our family and do all the wrapping too.  The kids like to go to Snowflake Lane at Bellevue Square every year and the last few years we have also taken in the Evergreen Lights in Bothell.  I decorate inside,  my husband puts lights up on the outside and we get and decorate a live Christmas tree every year.  I get advent calendars for the kids and I also buy ornaments that I put pictures of the kids in and send to some family and friends with a Christmas card and letter.  I put together calendars with family pictures from each month of the previous year and have them printed by Shutterfly and give them as gifts to the family.   We have these traditions that I have felt are important for one reason or another.  I put a lot of pressure on myself to do it all each year and each year it gets a little harder. 

This year I thought I would be more stressed than ever because I have to get everything done by the 13th -  long before Christmas - for reasons I will share AFTER Christmas is over.  But what the Lord has shown me is that I CAN'T get it ALL done.   So, choices have to be made.  Do we NEED Christmas lights up on the house?  Nope!  Do we NEED 5 or 6 kinds of Christmas cookies AND pumpkin pie?  NOPE!  There are several "traditions" that we are going without this year and I am finding that it's really OKAY!  Christmas will come on time and we are still enjoying the holiday season.  In fact, I am personally enjoying this season MORE than last year.  Getting an early start and skipping some activities has helped me to re-focus my priorities.   I have spent more time dwelling on the reason we celebrate Christmas and reminding myself that what I think is important is actually all optional.   In the end, after all, would it take anything away from the miracle of Christ's birth if I don't get the gifts all wrapped until Christmas Eve or don't have stocking stuffers this year or if we don't go see Snowflake Lane this year?  NO!  In fact, those things are all distractions - not a single one of our fun traditions points to the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ  (except maybe Evergreen Lights and we also read the Christmas Story in the Gospel of Luke before opening gifts each year). 

I'm generally too busy at this time of year to REALLY think about Jesus and how truly amazing it is that He left His position in heaven to become a lowly human being so He could identify with and save ME!  In my attempts to make Christmas special each year, I often miss the whole point of Christmas!  I KNOW we are celebrating the birth of Jesus but I love giving gifts and I love baking and it's so fun to see the lights and Christmas events in our area.  I get caught up in the music and the decorations and I don't give Jesus enough of my time and energy.   

This year feels different.   Because I don't have the time or energy to get all the usual Christmas activities done, I am able to take a more measured and thoughtful approach to Christmas this year.  It's healthy, I think, to have this forced upon me.  

I am appreciating Jesus and Christmas more than ever this year and I think it's time to make some new traditions in our family at this time of year that point more of our attention to Jesus.