This message could not have been more appropriate than today. It’s Father’s Day, and we are being deluged with stormy weather. Through all the storms of our lives, we must remember that Jesus Christ is in the midst of those storms. He walks on water for us, and says, “It is I; do not be afraid.”
Many of us fear that our boats will sink in the rougher winds and waves of our tumultuous lives, and we begin to say, “If only this or if only that.” We scream and cry and think that Christ is not with us. We must keep our faith strong in the storms and awful decisions we must make. Jesus Christ is with us, even when we think the situation is out of our control. When my second husband had his liver transplant and almost died, God sent not just one liver but two. The first one was not a match for him, so it went to a 21-year old HIV patient, giving her one or two more years of life. The second liver went to Charlie, and he had almost ten more years of life, a life he didn’t squander on anger, hatred, and alcohol. My storm was choosing to wait another day for the second liver, another day for a car crash somewhere in the United States, and hoping that Christ was walking beside me in the process.
Christ is the lord over nature, over every storm, and always in the midst of every storm. He does not tell us what to expect, as in my husband’s case. He told me that He was the “I am, and He was enough.” He never changed, never vacillated, and never tired of our case. In making the decision to accept or reject an incompatible liver, I let God speak His name over me just by saying, “You are.”
Most of us would rather be saved from the pain of making an awful decision, or in my case, asking the surgeon to never tell Charlie that I was given this choice of life or death for him. God used this choice to teach me about Himself and to help make my faith stronger. He gave me courage and the courage to share this story with others through personal contacts and my writing. God is good all the time and that makes Him good for me. I went to God in prayer and asked for His guidance. What He placed in the soil of my troubled heart were the seeds of courage, strength, and love.
Sometimes, we need a “kick in the gut” to let us know we need to move in another direction. That is what happened to Charlie. He made more loving efforts at trying to be a good father for his two daughters. It made our marriage stronger and put Christ at the center of both of our lives, instead of just Christ in me. It made me more reliant on the messages of the Word and gave me a reason to have my quiet time with God every morning. Through the power of a movie, “Mission, ” it made Charlie realize that his second chance at life was the reason to change his actions to become a more generous, loving father and husband.
The storms of our lives are stepping stones to a more mature life filled with the times of “I am,” rejuvenation, and abundance. We must grow in our faiths and know that we are nothing without Christ in our lives. He will put His oar into our boats and bring us to the other shore, our Eternal home.
Anna Hartt
