Out of control!

Hey everybody,
 
It’s been a wild couple of weeks here on the East Coast! Helene rolled through the Big Bend area of Florida, wreaked havoc through Georgia and South Carolina, and devastated our friends in Western North Carolina. The damage is estimated to be millions of dollars. Still, the human cost hasn’t even been fully calculated yet. It has been determined that it was the second most deadly hurricane to strike the United States mainland in the last 50 years. 
 
While many were neck-deep in clean-up and rescue efforts around Helene, Milton took aim at the Gulf Coast of Florida. Hundreds of thousands of people evacuated to get out of the way of the storm, and as of this morning (as I’m writing this), we don’t know the extent of the damage.
 
When big storms roll into your life, you realize just how little you can control. People who had established themselves in the areas affected by these storms had homes, jobs, possessions, and plans for the next week, following months, and likely for many years. In one day, all those plans were undone. By a storm. That’s true when a hurricane disrupts life, but it’s also true when other storms disrupt our lives. A bad report from the doctor. A car accident that takes the life of a loved one. Termination from a job. 
 
When storms arrive, my control departs. Which ought to reveal something to us; control is an illusion. When we feel like we are in control, we are actually just in a place of relative tranquility. I recently heard John Ortberg say, “There are 3 things that you cannot control. The day you are born. The day you die. And everything in between.” That about sums it up. In a sense, the storms of life don’t take control away from us; they just reveal that we weren’t in control in the first place.
 
It reminds me of when Jesus got into a boat with his disciples, and we’re told that a “fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat.” Where was Jesus? “...Jesus was sleeping.” Matthew 8:24
 
Several of the disciples were fishermen. They had grown up with boats, had spent countless hours on the water, and probably felt very much in control as they stepped into the boat that evening. That was until the storm arrived. Then they panicked at realizing they weren’t in as much control as they had thought. So, what did they do?
 
“The disciples went and woke him (Jesus) up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” Matthew 8:25
 
When we feel out of control, we instinctively turn to the One we think is in control. It’s been interesting to observe that play out over the last couple of weeks as people prepared for hurricanes and dealt with their aftermath. People have been turning to God and asking for prayer. I’ve seen people who don’t usually pray ask for prayer and receive prayer from others. Perhaps these storms, and the storms of life, can help us to remain humble…there is so little we can control. Humility invites Jesus in. Jesus responded to the disciples by “getting up and rebuking the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.” Matthew 8:26b
 
If you see someone in a storm, point them to the One who can give them peace. If you find yourself in a storm, thank God the Father for reminding you that so much of life is outside your control, and then call on Him. He can give you peace…even in the middle of a storm, and who knows, maybe He will even calm the storm.
 
The cultural moment we are in with the election is a storm of sorts, too. As we get closer to the end of this election cycle, I have a sense that the intensity of the storm is only going to increase. Let me encourage you to keep your eyes on Jesus. Regardless of who it is, your candidate is not the answer to the storm we are in. But we have a King, and He is Christ. And “Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation.” Colossians 1:15
 
He can bring you peace. If you know someone else who is caught in a storm right now, why not invite them to come sit with you THIS Sunday as we continue our series, “Divided We Stand.” We will help you to point them towards Jesus, our good and gracious King.
 
Blessings,
Pastor Jamey
 
PS – Stay tuned for details on the many opportunities we will have to serve those families affected by Helene and Milton.