Matthew 8:23-25 Then Jesus got in the boat, his disciples with him. The next thing they knew, they were in a severe storm. Waves were crashing into the boat- and Jesus was sound asleep! They roused him, pleading, ” Master, save us! We’re going down!”
Richard Foster, author and wisdom giver of all things involving spiritual growth, has one of my favorite quotes regarding spiritual disciplines. When giving advice to moms with young children as they seek to grown their relationship with Jesus he says in his book Celebration of Discipline: “The best thing you can do to grow your spiritual life at this stage of life… is to take a nap.” Or something like that. I read those words as a new mom and proclaimed a 2 hands raised ‘AMEN’ – loudly in my living room. I was exhausted and spending significant time in bible study felt overwhelming because I was just. so. tired.
I absolutely love that in todays passage we see Jesus modeling the need to rest. He curls up in a boat with his team and goes to sleep. Jesus life had been full of teaching, casting out demons, healing the sick and raising the dead. His short slumber was well deserved. I wonder if the disciples had followed suit and settled in with him if they would have slept peacefully through the storm? If a nap was Jesus game plan – maybe it should have been theirs as well. How much drama would have been avoided if they just got some shut eye. Certainly Jesus had proved to them that his plans were always best.
But they didn’t. And they faced the storm alone… And they were overcome with fear, stress – full on anxiety attacks. Instead of resting with their Lord the wrestled with the wind and waves which lead them straight back to where they should have started – with Jesus.
This Lent- I want my pace to be that of the master pace setter. When I spend time with Jesus He will be the one to speed me up and he will be the one to slow me down… maybe even slow enough …
to take a nap.
Loving you where you are and pointing your forward to where He is,
justbeth:)
justbeth:) 