The sky puffs up  dark gray, and storm clouds darkening the horizon are coming in like a bully looking for a fight.  Lightning crackles within the gray, sending moms scrambling for children and beach towels as the wind playfully kicks up sand on the beach. A small plastic bucket once part of the montage of castles, tumble-stumbles and rolls down the beach beneath the red warning flag, with children crying for it’s return. Soon the sky bleeds into on grey mass with the ocean as rain hammers down on vacationers.

Not far from the water’s edge is a shrimp boat slowly dragging its nets is heading into the storm.  The boat rocks side to side and white caps crash into its side trying to see if it can be toppled. Soon the boat fades from sight as gray rain touches the blue gulf and the two become one.

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Storms of life  rarely arrive without notice.  We see the signs and hope it passes. Red flags wave their warning and we choose to believe we will never need to endure such issues, because harm only comes to others – the weak and unprepared.

I wonder if the disciples thought the storm would pass by  right up until the time the waves began to make a swamped  the deck, and tried  to drag the boat into the dark abyss?

Rembrandt painted the scene of Christ calming the sea.

Rembrandt_Christ_in_the_Storm_on_the_Lake_of_Galilee

If you’ll look closely, you will see there are 13 men with Christ.  Who is the thirteenth man you ask?  It is Rembrandt.  He has painted himself into the picture.  He is the one with the blue shirt and the pinkish bandana on his head.  His hand is holding the bandana and he is looking straight at you.

rembrant close up

It is as if he is saying, “I understand this, because I’ve been in this boat.

I’ve been in the same boat, in the storm, and horrified I would not make it.”

We see, along with the disciples, the impending danger.  We can see how the boat is close to capsizing.  But we have been given a view that the disciples cannot see.  We can see the storm breaking and the blue sky coming forth.

Do not be afraid of sudden fear
Nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes;

For the Lord will be your confidence
And will keep your foot from being caught. Proverbs 3:25-26

Sudden fear is anything that keeps you from abiding in the peace which passes all understanding. Sudden fear is when the waves come up higher than your ability to breathe.  Sudden fear is when the wind is stronger than your ability to stand.  Sudden fear is when you see your boat swamped with life’s problems you cannot control and it seem the one who can calm the strom is sleeping.

The disciples, though they had seen Christ do miracles, failed to apply what they witnessed to their everyday life.

Faith Fails when Fear Prevails

When we allow our imagination to become dominate over our understanding we are paralyzed with fear.  The disciples had seen Jesus do miracles, and they knew he was capable of handling this precarious situation, but they allowed fear of what might be to over-ride their knowledge of who was with them.

“There are very few monsters who warrant the fear we have for them.” ~Andre Gide

Faith makes you brave because you know whether in the boat or on dry land, or whether you are in the storm or resting under blue skies, you are not alone.  God is with you 

Can I challenge you to be brave today?  What monster has robbed you of your faith? Can you face the fear and take it down, even one notch?  Let me hear your stories in the comments!

Joining Jennifer Lee Duke, Simply Beth and Holley Gerth today.Coffee-for-Your-Heart-150

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Diane W. Bailey is the founder of The Consilium – an online community of wisdom and purpose for women over 45 years of age. She is a published author. Her books include String of Pearls – From Tears to Treasure, and 30 Days To A Better Stepfamily. She creates her own line of precious metals bracelets. Diane lives in the Deep South with her husband Doc. Together they have created a stepfamily, each having two stepchildren and two birth children, and share three grandchildren, one black lab named Charlie and one long haired tabby cat named Lil Girl. Diane’s passion is to encourage women to be all God has created them to be by pressing past fear and daring to live life as an adventure. Some of her life adventures include traveling to Israel, speaking, entrepreneurship and backyard farming with Doc. She loves Gumbo, fried shrimp and seeing all sunsets across water.

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