Vacations

When I was a child, often times our family vacations were going camping for a week. Many of my favorite childhood memories come from those trips. Swinging on vines, roasting marshmallows, hearing the crickets and fighting off raccoons are all etched into my mind. One favorite family memory is a night we were camping and a terrible storm came. I can remember feeling like a river was rushing underneath our tent and I had nightmares about being washed away! I was so grateful for morning to come and still be in the same place!
The story of Jesus calming the storm is one of my favorites.  As someone who gets seasick and has a fear of drowning, my heart races thinking of being on that boat and fearing death. Jesus calms the storm and asked the disciples “Why are you so afraid?” No storm was going to sink a boat that the Savior of the world was on.  The disciples again just didn’t get it. I think of this story when in my head I start hearing a lot of “what are we going to do if ______ happens?”   When the storms of life cause doubts and fears to play over and over in my head, I wish I could hear Jesus say: “Peace, be still.” Thankfully, we have this story to remind us.  I also have the stories of my life where my lack of faith showed and God provided everything I needed and more.  I heard someone recently say “Gaze at the eternal, and glance at your circumstances.”  God tells us “Fix your eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of your faith.