Seasons IV

 January 1, 2012, Thomas preached at my parents home church. His text was Mark 4, Jesus calming the storm. The disciples had some questions. "Where's Jesus?" "Don't you care?"  We may ask the same questions in our boat of life. Yet our faith has to be in who is guiding the boat. No matter how big the storm, we can still trust the captain.

His sermon reminds me of a song I used to sing in church nearly 30 years ago. It was titled, "Master of the Wind."

My boat of life sails on a stormy sea
Ever there's a wind in my sail
But I have a friend who watches over me when the breeze turns into a gale.

I know the master of the wind. I know the maker of the rain.
He can calm the storm make the sun shine again. I know the master of the wind.

Sometimes I soar like a eagle to the sky
Among the peaks my soul can be found.
An unexpected storm may drive me from the heights
It may bring me low, but it never brings me down.

We may feel like our season of living on the rocking, fearful, wind tossed boat will never end. Martha Tennison says, "Seasons are certain, but not final." We cannot avoid them, but just because it's lasting longer than we want, doesn't mean it will never end.

In the months that followed Buck's passing, the Lord spoke so much to me about my faith. God led me to a devotion by Billy Graham that I have shared countless times in messages and one on one with friends. He talked about the Three Kinds of Faith. Quite possibly you can relate to one or more of these.

The first is struggling faith. We're alone, in the middle of the ocean, with no boat or life preserver. Arms flailing, we are struggling to keep our heads above water. We are doing our best to tread water but we don't really see or feel like we will make it. The waves of life seem stronger than any strength we could possibly have to conquer them.

Secondly, there's clinging faith. We've found the life boat, but all we have the strength to do is to fling one arm over the side of it and hang on for dear life. We have a little hope, but we are still being beaten by the waves and unsure what our outcome will be. We don't know just how long we can keep holding on.

Lastly, there is a resting faith. We're in the boat now, sitting, at peace. The waves are still trying their best, but Jesus is the captain of our life's boat and He knows how to guide us through every storm of life. In fact, we are rested enough that when another comes by, clinging to the boat, we reach done and help pull them in as well.

Let's be real. We all go through tough seasons when we struggle. I would admit I have probably camped out in the season of clinging faith the most. Yet when you know what to cling to, that's not such a bad thing. Don't beat yourself up if struggling is what you feel the most, just don't stay there.

"But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say, You are my God. My times (seasons) are in your hands." - Psalms 31:14 & 15

Elisabeth & Jim Elliot

I've had several "heroes of the faith" over the years. There have been many who have spoken directly into my life face to face, yet some of the most impactful people, I have never met in person. Elizabeth Elliot is one of those people.  Her story is familiar to many. While serving in Ecuador, her husband and four other missionaries were killed by the very people they were trying to share the gospel with.

Elisabeth persevered through her grief and eventually saw the salvation of the man who took her husband's life. You can't fake that kind of love people, that only comes from Jesus. One of my favorite quotes from her is, "Faith does not eliminate questions, but it knows where to take them." True Story.

A fitting end is this song called "Worn." This may describe how you feel today, but listen to the hope in the chorus: Redemption Wins! Spoiler Alert! This is the title for next weeks blog ;)