(“… A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up. Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”… Mark 4:35 -41).
***
We’ve all been terrified like the disciples.
And sometimes when we cry out to Jesus,
it seems like he’s asleep on a cushion…
But our cry always awakens him.
We might consider Christ’s response
to our prayers in one of three ways.
Think of it like a stoplight:
green, yellow, and red.
Sometimes when we ask Jesus for help,
he comes right away,
much like the disciples’ request.
“Calm the storm, Lord!”
And he does. Peace is immediate.
Other times, Christ’s response takes time.
The answer comes –
seemingly at the last minute – but it comes.
We might say the light was yellow.
These times are meant
to strengthen our faith;
looking back, God provided,
just not as quickly as we wanted.
But did we trust him while we waited?
Sometimes we pray
and it seems like we get no answer;
the light is red.
But instead of believing that Jesus simply says “no,” what if red means,
“I have something better planned for you?
Will you trust me
and open your heart to another path?”
Jesus always answers our prayers.
Sometimes the light is green –
the answer is an immediate “yes.”
Other times, the light is yellow –
Jesus will answer us,
but first he takes the opportunity
to strengthen our faith and trust in him.
And other times the light is red –
he wants to direct us on a different path;
what we prayed for simply wasn’t what’s best for us.
Either way, we must always trust
that prayer awakens Jesus from his slumber;
he will never ignore our cry for help.
But will we accept the way
he chooses to answer?