during Jesus's three years of ministry, He raised people from the dead. that seems like it would be the most amazing miracle you can perform. and i suppose it is.
but for some reason, my brain has the most difficult time understanding the two miracles He performs in today's readings. first, He miraculously feeds 5000 people with just a little food. my brain wants to see how it happened. did He just keep tearing bits off, and it never got any smaller? Or did He just keep handing fish and bread to His disciples and they never ran out? i wish i'd been there so i could see how it happened.
and then He walks on water. i also wonder what that looked like. did He go up and down with the waves? or did it look like He was walking on something under the water and the waves went up and down around His ankles?
but the take home lesson for me today was that the disciples were in the middle of a raging storm. they were desperate, and thought they might die. Jesus comes to them in the middle of their desperation... and the part of the story that is also amazing, but vaguely familiar, is that John records that as soon as Jesus got into the boat, they were suddenly at their destination!
this sounds familiar because it echoes what happens in my life when i'm struggling. everything seems far away and impossible. everything is so hard, and it seems like i'll never get done with it all. and then Jesus comes, in the middle of my struggle... and not only am i no longer afraid of dying... but suddenly everything is done!
thank You, God, for Your miracles. and thank You for meeting me in my storm.
1 comment:
These two miracles have so much depth to them. Each time I read or just wonder about them so much more is revealed to me. One of my all time books to read over and over is Max Lucado's, " In the eye of the storm." As is true with the Bible and this book for me, is each time something more is found the the passages. I think they may have his books at Barnes and Nobles, ( little commercial)
Second miracle was in 1989 when our home burned and the four of us found we had nothing left but God and each other. Really takes you to your knees. But as days go by we continued to miracle after miracle happening. The outpouring of the community was beyond anything we could imagine and from nothing to taking boxes and bags of donations to the church for them to give to others who were in need is feeding the 5000, He blessed us so that we could bless others. These two miracles are just a glimpse of what Jesus can and will do in our lives as long as our focus is one Him.
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