the storms of life...

I was thinking about something the other day about when the disciples were out on the Sea of Galilee with the storm and Jesus sleeping in the bow of the ship. When we went to Israel a few years ago I got to go out on one of these fishing boats and it was pretty amazing to think that I was out on this sea like the disciples of old. I guess storms can get pretty crazy out on the sea even though its not like being in the ocean and having a storm brewing. I thought about the request from the disciples to Jesus to calm the storm and he did, but I thought of something very interesting; they still had to row back to shore. Jesus didn’t stop the storm and magically transport the boat to the shoreline and everyone got out of the boat and kissed the good old solid ground. I think we need to realize that in life as well. When we ask God to intervene in our lives and “calm the storm” he is not going to also take us to where we are headed before that storm started. We still have to do the things in our lives that are going to “get us to the other side” and believe that God is right there in the boat with us wanting us to continue to row away and complete the journey that we have started out on. If we really believe that He has our best interests in mind we will know that he will only let things happen to us that either he knows we can handle now or that will teach us something that will benefit us in the future.