"Sarah, How Are You?"

"How are you?"..."Sarah, how are you??"..."HOW ARE YOU???"

It took me a while to figure out why it was so hard for me to answer this simple question. I appreciate my friend's concern and I want to be transparent. The reality is that this has been a difficult period in my life but there is something more going on then that reality. I have also been experiencing the truth of God's presence in the midst of my struggles.

Today I read how one night the disciples were alone in the middle of the lake being battered by the waves with the wind against them. By three in the morning they were exhausted but that's when they saw Him walking towards them on the water. "Immediately Jesus spoke to them,'Have courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.'" (Matthew 14:27) Their reality was that they were exhausted  from fighting the storm all night the truth was the Lord of the Storm had come to them.

There had been another storm they had experience with Jesus. That time He spoke to the winds and the waves and they obeyed Him and were quieted but not this time. This time Jesus was walking on the waves and when Peter asked to walk with Him Jesus said,"Come!" As long as Peter focused on Jesus he could walk on the water but when he saw the strength of the wind he was afraid and began to sink. The wind was strong the storm was real but the truth was that Peter was able to walk on water with his eyes on Jesus.

"Sarah, how are you?" The storm is real and to be honest sometimes I struggle with the strong winds. But the same Jesus that called Peter to come walk with Him on the waves is with me as well. I have learned in life that storms expose my human weakness but when I put my trust in the Lord I experience who He really is.

Lord Jesus, I know that You have the power to speak to the storm and make it stop. You also can enable me to walk on the waves of the turbulence in my life. Please help me to focus more on the truth of who you are than I do on the reality of the storms I'm in. Please strengthen me with all power, according to your glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy.