“24 A windstorm suddenly arose on the sea, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves, but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him up, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” 26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a dead calm.”
~Matthew 8:24-25
I am extremely grateful to have had the experience of joining a group of women who are all learning how to sail. Each week we go out on the water, learn the basics of sailing, and then gather around the table to share in a meal. These Women on the Water have become a place of getting out of my comfort zone, not just in meeting new people without a guide (which my introverted self does not always enjoy), but in learning a new skill from the very beginning.
Before this summer, I had never been on a sailboat. Through this program, I was now not only a passenger on a sailboat, but someone who was part of the crew and sometimes in charge! Having the literal safety of others in my hands is something I have experienced before through competitive cheering or my work as an EMT. But this is a little different because the only way to really learn how to sail, is to do it. There is no working on super basic skills increasing slowly. There is no book to study for a test you have to pass before you go and implement your training. You’re just out there, sailing.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve loved every second of my time with this group of strong and courageous women and I have learned a lot. But there are certainly moments that are more nerve-racking than others, like a collision at the start of a mock race, or the moment when the wind shifts and sends you off in a direction you did not intend to go.
The most nerve-racking moment occurred this week on a long sail from Bay Head out to Cattus Island. The day started out great- it was a nice easy sail… until we reached the “big waters” at the mouths Kettle Creek and Silver Bay. The wind had picked up. The water became choppy and was beginning to splash over the sides of the boat. It was becoming extremely difficult to keep the boat right side up. I will be honest enough to say, I was scared.
It makes it easy to understand how the disciples, who were fisherman, became anxious as they encountered a storm at sea. Even the most experienced can become unsettled when things start to get rough. And Jesus turns and asks, “why are you afraid?”
Now I don’t know about the disciples, but in my own boat even though my body was saying, “be afraid,” my head knew we were safe. I had a life jacket and skilled sailors with me who would take over when it got to be too much (which they did). After spending some time sailing around in the “big waters,” we docked safely, ate our lunch, and had a nice easy sail back home.
I don’t know why I was ever afraid.
Oh wait… yes, I do.
I was in a place of uncertainty, a place of unknowing. Even knowing there was someone present who could step in and make things better, I had no control. And that is a scary thing for me, and for others. I imagine that Jesus’s disciples felt the same way; they had no control over the waves and wind. Then Jesus steps in and makes things better.
And when Jesus asks, “why are you afraid,” he’s really asking, “don’t you know I have this under control?”
I think sometimes, we are all guilty of forgetting that we are a part of a bigger story. We are all guilty of thinking we have to know what is going on at all times, to constantly be in control, when the reality is, we can’t be. There are too many factors that influence our world, we can’t control them all. All we can do is trust that when we do what we are called to do, (AKA hand over the tiller or the wheel), everything will be okay.
Comment your thoughts below!
Blessings friends,
Pastor Nicole