Words of The Lamb

by Asisat Lamina

Mark 4:35-41
And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

Reflection:
Being still means you can’t be the fixer, can’t be the hero, no offering up of solutions and answers, no cleverly devised plans nor rescue remedies. It also means you can’t shrink to the corner and be the ignorer, turning a blind eye, offering a stiff shoulder or minding your own business…

Being still is sitting down in the boat, when all is raging wildly in the storm, when your very instincts and reactions are screaming at you to do something, to save something or jump overboard. When your muscles are spasming between fight & flight, when your mind is rationalizing and regretting, hoping and dismissing; when you’re feeling overwhelmed and disenfranchised when faced with your own incapacity to control and calm a beating storm.

Being still asks you to find rest in your own inability; it offers the relief of being unburden from circumstances and responsibilities that exceed our very primitive human understanding. Being still allows us to take the leaded shoes of regret off our feet. In all honestly we’re often so “busy” because we’re trying to run away from all our past hurts and negative experiences… Telling ourselves we’re pressing forward is a semi-truth that comforts us and allows us to turn our backs on the very things that broke our backs and hearts in the first place.

It’s common to think of life’s storms in terms of present situations and challenges. But it’s often the undealt with turmoil’s, wounds and issues of the past that steer us off course. Periodically fueling the storms of our anxieties, stresses and fears. In this passage Jesus is inviting us to trust Him, he is the only one that can speak to and silence our past hurts and fears. When we remain “active” we only serve to further entangle ourselves in a myriad of thoughts & feelings that can feel like suffocation and drowning.

Contrast that with, when we choose to acknowledge Jesus’s mastery. Choosing to select his deep seated and deep-rooted Love for us, knowing his presence and word excavates fear. Knowing he would never let our past overcome us, knowing our worst anxieties, thou justifiable are still surmountable, knowing he would never let us perish in our own internal turmoil.