Not All Storms are the Same

There's something a bit warped in our thinking about God.  When we are going through a storm of some kind, being tossed about by the raging waves of chaos, drenched by the downpour of unfortunate circumstances, we immediately seem to ask the question, "What have I done wrong?"  "What did I do to deserve this?"  Deep in the recesses of our minds and hearts is this looming fear of a God that tosses storms at us when we've been "bad."  You know what makes it worse?  We read a story like Jonah.  Jonah is called by God to go in a direction that he doesn't want to go.  So what's he do?  He jumps on a ship headed in the opposite direction.  Enter stage right confirmation of our warped thinking.  God sends a storm on the ship, though Jonah is in the hull of ship sleeping, it's his disobedience that threatens to sink the ship.  It's not until Jonah has been thrown overboard that the storm stops.  Inspiring...right?  Keep your kids up at night with that one.  But in that story, that one story, is the confirmation that what I'm going through must be the result of some act of disobedience.  Guilt and shame settles in.  We are paralyzed by our self-loathing.  We live in constant fear of the next storm.

But what if...

What if that's not the only kind of storm.  Recently in reading the story of Jonah, I was reminded of another near shipwrecked vessel on the waters of chaos, only in this one slept Jesus.  In chapter 4 of Mark's gospel, we encounter the disciples freaking out because of crashing waves.  Who was the first to ask..."Who do we need to throw overboard?"  "Who messed up?"  Finally when they couldn't decide who the dead weight was, they woke up Jesus frightened that this storm would be their last.  But wait...they weren't running in the wrong direction.  In fact, they were headed into new territory for the Kingdom.  They were opening up new doors.  They were headed into the mix.  Maybe this storm wasn't because they'd been bad.  Maybe this storm was something else.  In the story, Jesus springs to action.  "Foolish fellas, you've some warped thinking about God..." "Be calm!" Jesus demanded.  The waves died down and the water was still.  What if this storm was to display the faithfulness of God that even when we are headed in the right direction with God, storms will come, storms will evoke fear.  You aren't exempt from storms because you are following Jesus.  BUT!  God is commander over the storms and conqueror of chaos and who with one word can bring peace to a wave-weary vessel.  Perhaps this storm was to display the faithfulness of God. 

What about your storm? 

Or maybe it's something else.  I was also reminded of another storm, this one found near the end of Acts.  Paul's on this ship, headed for a Kingdom Clash...a clash between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of man.  He's headed to proclaim to the ruler of the known world, Ceasar, that there's a new Lord named Jesus.  Enter stage right...the storm.  In those moments, did Paul doubt?  Did he ask, "Well if I was doing what God wanted me to do, it would be smooth sailing."  NO!  Paul knew better than that.  He understood that some storms attempt to keep us from the path God has laid out for us.  He understood that not every step of following God is paved with dandelions and roses.  Not all God steps are storm free steps.  Some storms will distract and discourage us from the purposes of God.  Some storm must be weathered, trusting that God's able to bring to pass in our lives what he's begun.  Sometimes we need to hold on, patiently endure the waves, and even if the ship wrecks (happened to Paul) trust that God can see us through to the destination. 

Some storms will get our attention and redirect our path...
Some storms will display the faithfulness of God who is commander of the winds...
Some storms must be weathered on our way toward the passion and purpose of God...

What kind of storm are you in?  They aren't all the same...