Here there and everywhere. That’s how it can feel at times. There are so many things pulling at us at any given moment. We walk along our path journeying towards God, but the world begs for our attention and as we lose the present moment, we often lose our way.
Yes, there are times when it feels that the more we try to be on the path towards God, the harder it is to be certain we are on it. That’s when we can have the greatest peace if we take a pause and let our focus be on the present moment, God and trust Him more.
When it looks like you are in the storm, remember that in that moment He is in the boat with such a great peace that He sleeps right through it.
When it looks like a good Friday is the end it never is because God hasn’t had the last word yet. Stay calm.
When it looks like there is no clear way to go, stop and look at the present moment where you may find that He is ready to part the sea.
When it seems like you are going uphill with 100 pounds on your back in the pouring rain and you question if you are in God’s will as you certainly thought when you first started out, remember when God wants it there will be a battle and the greater the importance, the greater will the battle be. That alone can give us great peace in the battle.
The point is, God is always there. He hasn’t left. He only asks that you be mindful of Him, remain thankful and trust that He is your compass. You don’t need to know where north is. He knows. In the moment keep your focus on Him and while your heart is sincerely on His will, He will make it so. There is no need to be anxious. He knows your heart and He will not steer your boat wrong.
We should always put time aside daily to be prayerfully in the presence of God, but when the moments come when we feel overwhelmed and we don’t know which way to turn, time alone with God is essential. The storm is not the time to drop prayer and get distracted with worry. Trust that He will calm your heart. He will give you peace. He will remind you that He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. No situation is bigger than Him. Hold His hand and He will bring you through it.
God gives you what you need in the moment. As we close, maybe Mary Magdalene is a great way to remember all of this. When we are anxious, we tend to look either ahead or behind. Jesus said that Mary Magdalene should not give the perfume to the poor because she would need it for His burial (John 12:3). In that moment, because He was her focus, she could trust that He took care of her needs even if she and the disciples didn’t fully understand what He meant. He told her to hold onto the perfume and at the same time He stuck up for her and what she had done. Those two actions met her immediate needs and that is all she really needed to understand. Later, at the time of His death, it turned out that she did need the perfume for His burial…or so she thought when she was headed for His tomb. When going to the tomb she needed the perfume in anticipation that it would be used to anoint the body of Jesus for His burial. When she got there, however, she saw that that was not why she needed it. He had risen. It turned out that the purpose of the perfume being needed for Jesus’s burial was correct, but not in the way she would have thought it to be. God knew, however. In the present moment she needed it when she was heading for the tomb (John 20). The sorrow in her heart would have been too great if she headed to the tomb knowing she had no perfume to anoint His body with. As it turned out, she did not need it for His burial, but for the peace and calm as she journeyed to the tomb to ready His body for burial. She couldn’t have known this, but in each present moment, she did what was expected and the future need worked out without her worrying about it. She did not need to worry about the future. She only needed to know the calm Jesus offered in each of the present moments.
As we move closer and closer to Holy Week, it is a good time to be mindful of staying calm. Be anxious for nothing. Pray. Keep your heart open and let God lead in each moment. He will show you the way. He will show you what you need to do now so the future works it’s way out even if you don’t understand. It will always works out when Jesus is your focus and your compass.
Prayerfully reflect on any part above and the following:
“Have no anxiety at all, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:6-7)
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; on your own intelligence do not rely; in all your ways be mindful of Him, and He will make straight your paths.” (Prov 3:5-6)
“And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you are also called in one body. And be thankful.” (Col 3:15)
The story of Jesus asleep in the boat. (Luke 8:22-25)
The story of the parting and crossing of the Red Sea. (Exodus 14:10-31)