Snatching Joy From The Jaws of Victory!

Mark 4:38 -- "Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" 

It wasn't a very long trip as cruises go, but I'll never forget our bold undertaking of "the high seas" when we sailed from Manila to Davao after a mission meeting in the Philippines.  It was a spontaneous adventure put together by my parents and our dear friends, Glen and Marvella Thompson - the sons of whom were much like brothers to my sister and I - as we had very literally grown up with them on the mission field.

We didn't see very much of them on the cruise, however - as all eight of us were confined to our quarters with the worst case of sea sickness I have ever personally experienced. I suspect that a little bit of food poisoning had also been tossed into the mix - but I have no hard evidence to support that suspicion. I have only the wrenching terrible ache of a very sour stomach to present to the jury in that regard - and THAT could very well be due to the angry ocean in the midst of a doozy of a storm. A storm whose fury was unleashed the entire trip - as it followed the exact path that did our ship. [Trust me when I say I'm using the term ship very lightly].

The things that I can bring into sharp focus through the fog of so many collective years between now and that nautical journey were the scratching pitter-patter of the rats at night in our cabin while we tried to sleep, the glasses being knocked over at the dinner table due to high, angry waves, and the horrible smell that permeated the air on an overcrowded deck the one time we managed to take a venture topside during the trip. Oh - AND the advise of my parents as they flipped the light off in the cabin after tucking us in - "keep your feet and arms tucked into your blankets tightly, maybe the rats won't bite us"..... I don't recall sleeping until we reached the safety of our beds at home.

Let's just say that the adventure was not "as advertised", and it was not what my parents and their dear friends had in mind when they booked the journey. It will, however, ALWAYS be remembered. 

During the heavy rocking and pelting rain on that cruise I can remember one of the earliest desperate prayers I'd ever muttered in all of my eight to ten years of existence. As I peeked out the porthole in our tiny room, the waves greeted me at almost eye level [if you been on a ship you know that's very high, indeed] and the spray all but completely blocked my view of the horizon. I wondered if God would get us home safely - and I prayed earnestly that it be in His will to do so. I allowed myself to cry in sheer panic and kept telling myself that God appointed my family to the Philippines for a reason - and that reason surly didn't include drowning in a run-down ship in the middle of the Philippine Sea. 

As I read Mark chapter four this morning, I could relate to the sheer panic of the sailors aboard the boat that violently rocked on high waves. Suddenly my focus was drawn to the fact that Jesus was fast asleep. How in the world could anyone sleep through one of those storms on a few planks of wood in open water? I turned back to the memory of our Philippine cruise and immediately felt akin to the sailors shaking Jesus to wake him in a desperate plea to provide help. 

That's right ladies and gentlemen, Jesus slept.


Why?

As each sailor was clambering to rid the boat of the sea that collected in the bottom of their vessel, adjusted sail, and "battened down hatches", why was Jesus soundly asleep?

Perhaps he knew there was no real reason to be afraid. Perhaps, Jesus knew that it wasn't a time for worry and panic. He had faith in his Father's ability to always keep him safe.

Ready to make a move into a new house - yet again - this Dalton Gang found ourselves once again on bended knee, asking the Lord to provide. Jesus DID. He provided! And as all the dominoes fell into perfect place we danced in excitement, in thankfulness, and in sheer joy. That is, until I realized our little boat of four passengers began to rock in what turned out to be a rather tight dead line. Then I felt the panic creep high up into my throat, I felt the tidal waves of packing boxes and lost Sharpie markers crash against our vessel and wondered how we were to get everything we need to accomplish done in such a short amount of time. I peered out the porthole and saw nothing but high water and pelting rain. The dancing stopped. The room once filled with joy and laughter went quiet and all eyes turned to me as I opened my mouth to the very ugly panic hidden just beneath my tongue. 

Shoulders slumped, faces drew downward in subtle frowns, and I watched the air flow freely and quickly out of a balloon that was so bright and plump only moments ago. 

I had managed to snatch all the joy out of our recent victory and our every reason to be thankful. I shook the shoulders of Jesus as he lay sleeping on a cushion while our vessel rocked a little in the midst of busy waves. I could hear him scold the sailors on the boat; "why are you afraid? do you still have no faith?" [Mark 4:40].

After lining up the perfect property manager with a great and reputable property management company, an immediately available home with just the right amount of space AND a discount on monthly rent - why did I see fit to worry - and doubt that God could manage all the packing and the tight dead line, as well?

I owed my dancing family an apology. Jesus slept on a cushion because He knows this is not a time to panic. He rested after answering our need because He KNOWS His Father is in charge of every storm, every high wave, every wind blowing into an unfurled sail. I had no cause to wake him. He is our rock, in whom we can place every faith with the utmost of confidence. 

I guess I just needed a gentle reminder - perhaps, in the shape of what I perceived to be a storm, God reminded me NOT to snatch the joy from the jaws of victory! He reminded me that there is, indeed, a time to dance - and that I should NOT let those moments get by me without getting at least a little bit foot-loose myself!

Feel like Jesus is taking a cat-nap while the waves rage on around you? Maybe, just maybe, He does so for a reason.