Mark 4: 37 -38 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

A normal life allows us to experience love, joy, triumph, success, progress and, occasionally, a feeling of invincibility.  But alongside all these come inevitable challenges that bring a feeling of being overwhelmed. Sometimes this feeling may be triggered by doubt, fear, failure, betrayal, stagnation, or significant tangible loss of some kind or even the impact of a natural disaster. In 2017 many Caribbean islands and parts of the United States were impacted by several hurricanes and flooding and the State of California was ablaze with fierce forest fires. A lot of people were hurting at the same time and many lost everything they owned.

When we feel overwhelmed by circumstances, the human response is very much like that of Jesus’ disciples caught at sea in the midst of a fierce storm. Many wonder or may even exclaim, “Does God not care what is happening to me?” Part of Jesus’ mission on earth was to demonstrate the heart of God for his creatures, so when the disciples woke him up he cared enough to immediately rebuke the storm and restore calm. Only then did he ask them why they were so afraid. “Do you still have no faith?” he asked.

When you find yourself in similar situations, know that the fear or panic you feel is rational, you are not crazy nor are you a coward. It’s a human response. Be patient and kind to yourself. But most of all, it is the time to trust Almighty God to help you find a way out of your difficulty. God does not abandon his children. He does care and his eyes are on you. Call on him not because you lack faith but because you have faith that he cares. It will surprise you how help will begin to flow in your direction. Friends and total strangers will come to your aid once they are aware of your situation. One of the greatest blessings of my experience with Hurricane Sandy was to see how people dropped everything and came even from far away States and counties to help sling buckets of mud out of my house. Aid agencies such as the Red Cross and Convoy of Hope showed up to feed and supply immediate needs. People of goodwill dig deep at such times to support such agencies. It is something I now do with conscious commitment.

The disciples had Jesus in the boat with them and so do you.

“I do not ask my children to walk alone. I go with them on whatever mission I send them. Life’s pilgrimage is full of pitfalls. The enemy sets traps along the way to the end that you should fall, yea even bow down and worship him. But praise belongs to me and me alone. He will not be allowed to rob my praise. I go before my children to demolish his snares and give them victory. Trials polish you so that you shine for me to the end that men glorify my name.”