Be Still Soul, This Is Not the end!
Lately, my wife and I have been watching one of those shows that transports you back and forth through the lives of the characters, landing in scenes that grow in significance as the story unfolds. I enjoy a good story that draws you in, piques your interest, and then turns you back to your own story.
Be Still, Soul, When Death Comes
I am in a season of death…a friend just recently died of ALS, my husband and I are on the anniversaries of each of our parent’s death, a dear colleague just resigned from working closely with me, and our child’s marriage is dying. Have you ever considered what exactly death takes away? More than just a human or a dream, death takes away our security, connection, input, and hope for change.
The Waves And Wind Still Know
This story of Jesus calming the wind and waves is intriguing. During the storm, the disciples, afraid for their lives, accused Jesus of not caring if they lived or died. He didn’t immediately reply to their concerns verbally, He didn’t try to look on the bright side and positivize their predicament; Jesus calmed the storm. Turning to them, He asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mk 4:40 NASB20) I hear His tone not accusatory, but curious.
Be Still My Soul
I don’t think I’ve had many moments to be still over the past few weeks or months. From travel, conferences, hospitality and work, we have been treading water for quite a while. A couple of weeks ago, the Lord kindly dropped this song into the jukebox in my brain, reminding me that I need to be still. For me, stillness has historically been a curse. From timeouts as a kid sitting on the stairs while others got to play (FOMO), to illnesses that knocked me off my feet, I have not had a great relationship with stillness.
Shalom
I wonder how long it took the disciples to realize that Jesus really wasn’t going to overthrow the Romans or establish an earthly rule. After his death, though the loss was mostly of the man they had come to love, I imagine it also encompassed dreams they hardly admitted even to themselves.
In Between
Today I was reading up on Pentecost. I had forgotten it’s 50 days after Easter. Jesus ascended to Heaven 40 days after the resurrection, then it was 10 more days before the Holy Spirit came and the church was born, 3,000 converts strong.
