In the Storm

On March 12, I sat with the women in my small group and discussed the shutdowns happening all around us. Some women were in denial. Others expressed fear. I felt overwhelmingly anxious that day, although I couldn’t fully express why. All of us worried to some degree about the “what if’s”. What will happen if one of us contracts the virus? Who will take care of our kids if we end up in the hospital? What about our parents who already struggle with health issues? The list went on and on. As schools closed, churches went online, and shops, restaurants, and movie theatres locked their doors, everyone felt a sense of uncertainty.

As I drove away that morning, a song came on the radio that I will never forget. It was the first time I’d heard “Just Be Held” by Casting Crowns. When I got home, I downloaded the song and listened to this phrase over and over…

“If your eyes are on the storm, You’ll wonder if I love you still.

But if your eyes are on the cross, You’ll know I always have and I always will.”

My focus was all wrong. I was focused on the problem rather than the problem-solver! Only when our eyes are on Jesus can we see what He’s doing in the midst of the storm.

It reminds me of a story in the gospel of Mark. Jesus and His disciples took a boat across the Sea of Galilee when a storm came out of nowhere. The waves were so high, the water overflowed into the boat causing it to sink. The men feared for their lives. Where was Jesus you might ask? He was asleep! I don’t know about you, but I get seasick in calm waters, so sleeping during a fierce storm would be impossible! When the disciples woke Jesus, His response to them is exactly what He was trying to tell me the day I feared the pandemic. “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:40, NIV, emphasis mine).

Only when I changed my focus did my anxiety decrease. No matter what storm you’re in, God is with you right now in the middle of it. Look to Him for answers. Look to Him for peace. The songwriters of “Just Be Held” penned it well:  

“Lift your hands, lift your eyes, in the storm is where you’ll find Me.

And where you are, I’ll hold your heart, I’ll hold your heart.

Come to Me, find your rest, in the arms of the God who won’t let go.”

Songwriters: Mark Hall, Matthew West, Bernie Herms. Just Be Held lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., ESSENTIAL MUSIC PUBLISHING

Photo by Torsten Dederichs on Unsplash