A Calm Surface

Have you ever walked into the ocean and been unexpectedly knocked off your feet by the under tow? The ocean and its waves didn’t look very turbulent on the surface, but the next thing you know; you’re spitting out salt water and scratching your knees on the sand in order to stand up quickly – so that the next wave doesn’t knock you down again.

Life Lesson: It can be easy to be deceived by a calm surface. Below the surface, there’s often great chaos and disorder. We may not know when someone is struggling on the inside.

A co-worker told me last week that she ‘felt like a pond’ on the property where we work together. She literally said, “I feel about like that pond right now.”  I looked at the smooth, green, murky water before I asked her to clarify what she meant. I noticed a few geese casually puttering around. The surface was smooth – I didn’t notice anything obviously out of place as the evening sun hit the water. It was a pretty scene on an otherwise cold and dreary fall day.

She said, ‘I’m calm on the outside. But underneath I’m a mess.” Okay – so THAT analogy I understood! The pond was smooth as glass and serene in its appearance, but under the cold depths there were bustling fish, aggressive snapping turtles, and lots of wood and debris.

Our lives can be like that too ~ too much spiritual debris! Christians aren’t immune to chaos and emotional fatigue. In fact, we’re pretty successful of putting our best foot forward and planting a smile on our faces, when on the inside, we might really be hurting, stressed, wounded, or overwhelmed. I’ve made a list of pointers for times like that…

#1 – Regardless of how deep your pain goes, God’s love goes deeper.

#2 – Don’t seek revenge or justice – leave that to the Lord. Rather than being confrontational, be still. Give it some time. Don’t be reactionary.

#3 – Understand that your value does not lie in your net worth, your job title, your appearance, or society’s perception of you. Your worth is only and entirely based on your royal position, as a child of the King, God Himself.

#4 – God understands that all humans are weak. We all have that in common – nobody is “better” than anyone else. We’re equals when it comes to how God sees us. You’ve heard the saying, “The ground is level at the foot of the Cross!”

#5 – Jesus is the BEST cardiologist there is. Nobody knows the HEART like HE does!

It’s not enough to be calm on the surface – it is important that our spirits remain calm too!

Look UP my friends!  

Today’s Prayer:  I pray this day that God, you, will grant me a deep peace. A deeper serenity. One that penetrates the surface and reaches to the very bottom of my soul. I pray that you help me to be still, and KNOW that you are God.  Help me to know the presence of your loving power within me. You are the Price of Peace and I need that peace in my heart today. I know you have ME in the palm of your hand. You have never failed before, and I am encouraged to know you will not start now. You don’t need me, but I need you, Lord. I am calm in the knowledge that you are in control. In Jesus’ name, Amen.