Sleeping and Speaking

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Wind howling, stomachs churning and sidewards rain slapping their faces as their boat finds itself the victim of another Galilean storm.

A tumultuous moment and Jesus…. well, He sleeps.

He sleeps… not phased, not bothered. Peace Himself sleeping peacefully in the chaos and revealing that this reaction is possible if you know the one who holds the storm, the boat and you in His hands.

I too have felt this peace – you know, the one that doesn’t make sense in light of the circumstances. That “peace that passes understanding”. Perhaps you have experienced it too.

Recently I have felt the nudge of Holy Spirit calling me into the next part of this stormy sea saga.

Sleeping in the storm and trusting Him in the chaos is somewhat familiar as I’ve journeyed life with Jesus. Relationship with Him grows and peace reigns. Yet I feel the invitation to be someone who not only experiences that peace for me in the boat, but who speaks to the storm with the authority that Jesus has freely given – and brings peace to those around me.

I have sat with this part of Jesus’s story for months. It literally won’t leave me. Perhaps it is just something the father is doing in me, but I’m throwing it out there to you too. A fellow traveller on the journey with Jesus.

We were born to find Him, love Him and follow Him.

Jesus followers can sleep in storms and speak to storms.

Whatever your chaos looks like, I pray that the spirit will nudge you – sometimes all you need is a nap. And sometimes you need to get up and speak powerfully to the chaos. Like the one who made you, your words carry power.

Who knows, perhaps there are a bunch of frightened people just waiting for your words to help shape and calm the storm for them.

Happy Friday 🙂

EASTER SUNDAY

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Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, death is your victory? Where, death is your sting?

An empty tomb.

A risen saviour.

Other people – who should be dead, walking around.

Death was defeated then.

Death is defeated now.

The tomb is empty, and you can experience a FULL life because of that.

I absolutely adore the fact that Mary goes to tomb and finds it empty. She has an encounter with angels and then sees the risen Jesus for the first time in front of her.

She actually mistakes Him for the gardener. (recorded in John’s gospel)

I don’t think John tells us that by accident – because there’s a big garden theme playing out in the big story of scripture.

The garden….

The birth place of death at the very beginning when sin lands into the garden.

A garden tomb, were the creator of the garden was placed – in death.

Now – not dead, but very much alive.

The creator was back in the game and had changed the landscape entirely.

Because the whole movement of the story is a journey back to the garden. Back to perfection. Back to order. Back to the way it was always supposed to be. Back to walking with Him in the cool of the day. Back to ruling and reigning. Back to life as God knows it. Back to the start.

The gardener came back so we could go back.

Thankful for the one who rewrites stories.