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Traveling
to Central Nebraska this past weekend to spend Father’s Day with our dads
turned out to be quit an adventure. I had volunteered to drive so my
husband could finish a report on his laptop and we left home under blue
skies with no wind, and no sign of rain. We settled in, anticipating an
uneventful trip.
Unfortunately, half way to our
destination, the sky grew dark, the winds came up, and the rains came down.
Now, while I don’t really like driving in rain, I did have to acknowledge
that the crops and pastures certainly needed the moisture. However, the
further west we drove, the stronger the winds became, and the drops of rain
became "buckets." Traffic slowed to a crawl and I began my usual objections
to driving in rain. I was particularly vocal about how I hated passing
trucks in such weather because they always kicked up water and made it even
harder to see.
You
guessed it. As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I found myself in
that very situation.
I
know you can picture it. It’s already difficult to see because of the
pouring rain. I’m hunched over the steering wheel, hanging on to it like
it’s the last drumstick at KFC. I’m squinting out the windshield with the
wipers going at top speed, vowing that I when we got back home I would to
start a petition to get trucks off the road.
I really didn’t think it could get worse – but it did. Half way around the
truck, the windshield wipes QUIT! Not only did they quit, but somehow they
both ended up on my side of the windshield, crisscrossed over
each other - forming a perfect "X" - right in my line of vision. Well, to
say I panicked is putting it mildly. I had an 18-wheeler on the one side of
me, the side of a bridge on the other, and a line of cars behind me. I do
have vague recollections of hoping I had told everyone I loved them as I
yelled, "I can’t see. What do I do? Where do I go?"
In the midst of my storm, I
heard Duane say, very calmly, "Don’t look at the rain. Look at the white
line."
"But I can’t see! What do I do?"
"Look for the white line and
follow it."
I don’t know how long the whole
episode lasted. It seemed like forever, but I’m sure in reality it was only
a moment. The calm in my husband’s voice, the logic of his instructions, and
his confidence that I could follow his instructions gave me the direction I
needed and I somehow found myself, Duane and the car safely pulled over on
the side of the road.
In
the 14th chapter of the book of Matthew, we are given the account
of Peter walking to Jesus on the water. Jesus had been ministering to the
people. He tells His disciples to take the boat and go to the other side
while He spends time by Himself in prayer. In the middle of the night, Jesus
goes out to the boat– walking on the water!
Verse 26 says that the disciples
saw Him, were terrified, and thought Him to be a ghost.
But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying,
"Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid."
Peter said to Him, "Lord, if it
is You, command me to come to You on the water." And He said, "Come!" And
Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
But seeing the wind, Peter
became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!"
Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to
him, " You of little faith, why did you doubt?" When they got into the boat,
the wind stopped. And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, "You
are certainly God's Son!"
But
seeing the wind, he became
frightened, and began to sink…
I was like Peter. I was traveling along,
not anticipating any problems – and then the storm hit. And what did I do? I
immediately looked at the rain, not the white line and I became frightened.
How many times have I done that. I’m
traveling along life’s highway, thinking everything is going to be fine.
Then a "storm" arises, and I look at the problem and panic. Like Peter, I
look at the "wind," not Jesus. And the moment my focus is taken off Him, I
begin to "sink."
Jesus never promised that we wouldn’t
have problems, but He did promise that He would always be with us. And while
He desires that we keep our eyes on Him, if we do panic, He calmly reminds
us to look at Him. His Word is the white line that leads us to safety.
Regardless of what is surrounding us, He is there, confident that we can
follow His commands.
If
you are in the midst of a storm, and it seems like the windshield wipers
have quit and you can’t see where you are going, refuse to look at the rain
and the wind, the problems. Look for the white line. Call out to Jesus, keep
your eyes on Him, follow His Word, and you will find yourself safely on the
other side.
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