Nearly Swamped

One of my favorite things is to be able to look at a previous season of life, especially the ones that were hard or lonely, and see how God was there the entire time. I wish that I could more frequently recognize Him in the moment instead of in my rearview mirror. I did this recently as I compared our family’s finances from this January to last. I had a sweet reminder of how good God is and how he has provided for us. This time last year, while Nic was in graduate school, we were pulling thousands of dollars from savings monthly to make ends meet and now, less than a year later, we have two solid incomes and months worth of salary in savings. We are by no means rich in terms of the world but we trusted the Lord and made it through a tough situation, escaping any lasting harm. It’s still so hard to believe we made it through almost a year of pulling from savings the way we did, but God was there, His hand was upon us, and we were provided for.

At almost every point of life, whether small or big, everyone is facing some sort of storm. Each storm comes with it’s own noise and it’s own distractions. We bear through most of them with ease but then there are the ones that take us by surprise. There are the ones what we weren't prepared for and there are the ones that nearly take us out. When we are experiencing the ones like this, I can’t help but be reminded of the disciples in the boat. They were facing a storm and with every squall of the wind and every crash they must have been wondering when they were going to get swallowed by the storm, when would it finally defeat them. Just like every month of that year we pulled from savings, I wondered “When would it run out?” “How long could we make this work?”

In Mark 4:35-41 this is how the scriptures describe their situation in the storm... “A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was NEARLY SWAMPED.”

And I love the idea of the state of being nearly swamped. To me nearly swamped is a time where we get to choose fear or faith. The waves are crashing in and our boat seems as if it is about to sink, we are nearly swamped. So what do we do next?

Well you can't help but love the disciples for giving us so many examples of what NOT to do. The disciples responded in fear even though the presence of Christ was with them the entire time. And by His presence the word “nearly” would forever stay in front of the word “swamped.” In these times of heartache, sickness, loneliness, etc. we must have faith that Christ is in our boat. He is keeping us from drowning. And our situations are doing nothing but threatening to sink us and we can never sink when the Lord is in our boat.

Jesus responded to them and said, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Imagine Jesus saying that to you today concerning walking through the storms of your life.

To the single woman in her late 20’s, you may be facing the storm of doubt that your husband will ever show up. To the new mom you may be facing the storm of a crazed schedule of taking care of what seems like everything and everyone. To the man who’s yet to find a job that supplies not only financially but is passion fulfilling, your experiencing your own storm as well.

The pressures of the storm are screaming in your face and the water is filling the boat but rest assured that if you’re keeping God in your boat, when you see the water seeping into your life, threatening to drown you, it is just that. A THREAT. The state of being NEARLY swamped is not a time to panic it is a time to exercise our faith.

The disciples approached Jesus as if they were going to drown...they said, “Don’t you care if we drown?” This questions shows that they didn’t believe that His power was with them. But what if we can learn from their mistake. What if when we reach a state of being nearly swamped and we turn to the Lord and say Thank you God that you won’t let me drown.

When your identity is being attacked by the people around you what if you turned to the Lord and said, God I know that “I am wonderfully and fearfully made.” When it doesn’t look like you are able to pay all your bills next month, what if you turned to the Lord and you praised him for how in time of desolation He will always provide. When you feel as if you have lost yourself, instead of asking God why, what if we started praising Him for when. He never said we wouldn’t struggle, He never said there wouldn’t be storms, but He did say that HE is with us and for us.

So the waves may be crashing in, the sounds of the storm may be piercing your heart, and the water may be filling your boat but have faith because nearly swamped is not swamped and God WILL bring you through this. Keep protecting yourself from the debris of the storm so that when it ends you can have a heart open to receive the glory of God for it is His glory that comes at the end of every trial.