REFLECTIONS

A Day on the Lake

The sea rested in near peace as dawn’s light crept slowly into the sky. The new day had not yet awakened the glassy peace night had cast upon it. Every day was not like this one. Sometimes night’s darkness was not so peaceful. Storms with noisy flashes and blustery winds often stirred rough waves that splashed their rage against an innocent shoreline. But the day I remember there was not one of those times. A bewildering calm blanketed the air and stilled the waters deep into the morning. Even the wake from our power driven vessel did not disturb the water’s stillness. Unnatural, it seemed to me.

But as morning succumbed to afternoon sun, a different picture emerged. The view from the Mount of Beatitudes revealed choppy whitecaps sprinkled elegantly across the water replacing the glassy peace of morning. How quickly the scene had changed and just as quickly other lake scenes we learned from the Gospel story unfolded in our minds.

One could envision the Sea of Galilee as a body of activity from the Gospel’s descriptions. We envisioned the boats lining the shoreline as three unsuspecting fishermen prepared their nets for their daily catch. Then Jesus appeared. “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men,” he called.

The whitecaps sprinkled across the water reminded us of the furious storms that frequently came up on the lake sweeping violent waves into the boats. Jesus slept soundly through one of those storms until his frightened disciples awakened him saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown.” So Jesus rebuked the wind and calmed the sea.

And how could we not remember the time windblown waves hindered the disciples’ trip across the lake. But in the darkness, they looked out to discover Jesus walking on the water to be with them.

Years have passed since that peaceful day on the lake we know best as the Sea of Galilee. But those scenes are as vivid today as the day we lived them. And even today we find Jesus in unexpected places with invitations to follow him. Furious storms still enter our lives, but when we call on him, Jesus is there to calm our fears. And when we find ourselves stranded in the middle of nowhere, just look out there.

You’ll discover Jesus walking out to be with you.

You are the light of the world,

Richard +

www.reflectingthesavior.org

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