God Coming
“When he saw that they were straining at the oars against an adverse wind, he came towards them early in the morning, walking on the sea. But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out, for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately, he spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.’
Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, for they do not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.” Mark 6:47-52.
This has been my experience. God often comes to us in the early morning if we take time to get up and listen and read or just look or sit outside. God comes when he sees us “straining at the oars against an adverse wind.” God comes in some miracle, almost as if he were walking on water. It may be a word, a letter, an email, or a call from someone I would least expect to hear God’s word.
“By chance,” we meet someone not on our agenda for the day. God may speak in the actual scripture reading. God may be the wind at our side, the sun bringing light to the chilly dawn, or the first bloom on a barren tree. We may perceive God as a ghost and not recognize the occurrence as a message from the one who cares so much for us. We may ignore it because it is not part of our busy plan for the day. We may even cry out. We may be terrified by what we hear or see.
Talking to spiritual friends helps us see God in these places we were blind to God’s presence. Somehow, if we stay present in the moment and say our prayers, fear will leave us. Fear is afraid of prayer.
God literally gets into the boat where our life is sailing on, and the storm in our mind and our body ceases. We may be astonished. We do not realize why we are comforted, for our heart is still hardened. This happens daily. God does not give up on us and our hard hearts.
This is the message of Advent and Christmas and Epiphany.
Joanna joannaseibert.com https://www.joannaseibert.com/