In Serious Trouble

Late that night, the disciples were in their boat in the middle of the lake, and Jesus was alone on land. He saw that they were in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. He intended to go past them, but when they saw him walking on the water, they cried out in terror, thinking he was a ghost. They were all terrified when they saw him. But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage! I am here!” Then he climbed into the boat, and the wind stopped. Mark 6:47-51

SOMETIMES WE THINK that if we are obeying God then we will be spared from hardship, and that if we run into difficulty we must be disobeying him in some way. We think if we’re parenting right then we should have smooth sailing with our kids. But here we see that the disciples were crossing the lake just as Jesus had told them to do and yet they were in grave danger. Likewise we can parent in just the way Scripture tells us to yet end up in serious trouble with one or more of our children.

When we’re facing serious problems, we tend to do what the disciples did. We row harder. We try to come up with strategies and plans to still the storm in our child’s life. We worry. We talk to our friends and to counselors. We struggle against what sometimes seems like gale-force winds pushing back against our wise counsel.

It is precisely when we or one of our kids is in deep trouble that we are in the place to see and experience Christ as never before. In the storm, we come to the end of ourselves. Jesus comes to us in a way that no mere human could, unlimited by human power or strategies. He comes as the only one who has the power to either still the storm or preserve us through it. He climbs into the boat with us and tells us that we don’t have to be afraid because he is here.

Lord, we often find ourselves in serious trouble, with no ability to make any progress on our own. We need you to come to us in the way that only you can. Make your presence known to us in the midst of the storm. Calm our fears. Take us from little faith to firm faith, confident in your power to save and preserve us and our family.