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Think on these things... 11/5/2007 2:24:29 PM
Devotional for week 4 (10.29.07) October 29, 2007
“And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” ~Mark 4:39
When I was a little girl, I always loved to hear the song “Peace Be Still” by the adult choir at my church. I definitely didn’t understand the meaning but –WOW! - it had such an impact on me. The pianist led the song and sang it with such intensity. It was one of those songs forever etched in my being.
As time has gone by, I’ve gained an even greater love and appreciation for “Peace Be Still.” My question, though, was, “Why didn’t Jesus just say ‘PEACE’ or just say ‘BE STILL’?” He could have, you know?!? So knowing me, that was something that I asked over and over again.
This week marks the two-year anniversary of the last horrific hurricane in 2005. Being born and raised in Oklahoma, I grew up in tornado country. I was use to the tornado and fire drills in school. However, I relocated to Delaware and my son, Jeremy, went to undergraduate school in Miami, Florida.
It seemed, for a while, like hurricane after hurricane after hurricane would hit the Miami area and, Oh, the devastation of them all. Hurricane Dennis, Emily, Katrina, Rita and Wilma. (Actually there were 7 hurricanes but 5 of them were responsible for massive destruction). They were category five storms and I quickly learned how dangerous and devastating they could be; especially watching the news about Katrina.
When Hurricane Wilma was classified a category 5 storm, I called my son and told him that I would get him a plane ticket home where he would be safe. He said that he would get permission from his track and field coach and call me back. I found a ticket and before I hit purchase he called and said, “Mama, the coach told me that I couldn’t leave the team.” Basically there were many students there and the school made provisions for the storm.
Hum. Let me think this through: a category 5 storm, the devastation and tragedy I have already seen (not first hand) on the news, My Son, My Decision!!!!!! But there was a still small voice that was speaking to me about what I had learned from studying “Peace Be Still.”
Jesus was awakened out of a sound sleep by his disciples who were afraid saying, “Master, don’t you care that we are about to perish, how can you just lay there and sleep?” Jesus got up, rebuked the wind and then he spoke to the sea, Peace, Be Still!! ~Mark 4:38-39
Why peace?
You see, He who created the winds and the sea knew what He created them for and they were out of order. This was not what He created them to do. So He rebuked the wind, “Now you need to stop and stop now!” and the spoke to the sea, “Peace, (calm down) Be Still (go back to the state of being you were created for).”
Wind you have upset the sea, STOP!!!! Sea, calm down. Be still!
So I understood that I had to talk to Wilma. I told Jeremy that we would be praying. He lived in one of the campus apartments and had grown use to losing electricity and the cancellation of classes from the previous hurricanes. But now Wilma was coming with fierceness and I realized that it was really time to fight the fight of faith. So we (many of the saints) began to pray, but not just pray. We began to talk to Wilma.
Wilma!!! Calm down!!!!!! Be still!!!!
Did you ever notice that most of the storms that season were named after a woman? Have you ever gotten into an argument with a woman in a category 5 emotional rage. There is no way that you can talk to that woman unless you first and foremost get her to calm down. She can’t hear you. She won’t hear you. Even more so, her fury, once her emotions are out of control, can put all around her in danger. Being a woman and a single mother, when it comes to going to bat for my sons, well, I have previously been in a state of mind that I would never back down.
- One such incident happened, when Jeremy was in middle school, that the band teacher was adamant in giving him a D because he had missed a performance. He had an A average. When he called me, I jumped in my van and headed to the school. Two of the saints worked in the same building with me and they knew my fury when someone was mistreating or trying to mistreat my children. I got to the school and asked to see the principal (no need talking to the teacher!!!). I was told I had to wait, so I began to pace back and forth - intensely angry. After a few minutes my pacing got slower and slower. I began to laugh. I could hear Eileen praying, “God please calm her down!” Thank God for prayer, He calmed down my fury, the principal heard the story and the teacher was instructed, “YOU WILL NOT GIVE HIM A, D!!!!!” -
We watched as Wilma’s winds were becoming more and more ferocious and we stood firm, “Wilma, calm down. Be still girl, be still!!!” She began to lose some of her intensity. We also prayed for Jeremy’s divine safety. Needless to say, while we were praying, he slept through the whole storm!!!!!!!
When he awoke the next morning he still had electricity. He was one of the only major apartment quads that were not left in darkness. (Basically, out of the 11 apartments in his area, his quad of four apartment buildings was the only ones left with power). He went to two of the large dormitories, on campus, to check on his friends. He stated that all power was out and the buildings temperatures were hot. He gathered his friends, who came to his apartment for food and to take showers. There is no need in rehashing all the uprooted trees, traffic lights not working, etc. but the prayers worked. Wilma, although angry, her fury was desensitized. Yes, there was clean up needed from her fury but she did not do the destruction expected by many.
I am learning to speak to my own emotional storms. Situations that come to take me to a level of fury that causes me to react in an unpleasant way.
There was a situation in my life when I wasn’t protected as a young child, so when I have been attacked or perceived to be attacked I couldn’t seem to respond calmly. In the process I have learned (and goodness, do I have many opportunities) to say to myself, calm down, settle down. Find the peace that you need and be still. Yes, it’s hard once I’m in a storm. However, if I talk to my storm, in the midst of the storm, I pass through with little-to-no-damage to what’s in my path.
So, whether my storms are the elements of nature, internal conflict caused by the winds of life or be it occurrences caused friend, foe, money, job, loved one, stranger or delay of something greatly needed or expected; I always try to remember, Peace, (calm down), loose your fury, stop panicking (stop tripping) and…Be Still.
