Sunday, July 22, 2007

It's Weird

After twenty years of living away from my home town, it' crazy that I'm back. The charming and beautiful Susan and I drive around town with our granddaughter and think we're in the twilight zone. Or in somebody else's life. It's surreal.

Pastor Glen Mustian of Calvary Chapel Eureka, USN (ret), spoke about Jesus calming storms. He gave a lesson in seamanship. The sailor learns that the surface of the ocean is never the same. Sometimes the sea is clear and sometimes murky. One day rough, the next calm. The sea can be blue. It can be green. It can be black.

This analogy connects perfectly with my life or your life. One day, where I'm going in life is clear, the next day, murky. Sometimes my relationship with my wife is calm and the next day we're screaming at each other. Some days, my skies are blue; the next black and stormy. Forbidding. It looks like a storm big enough to wash me away is bearing down on me.

In the Bible story, Pastor Glen reminds us that the disciples had no doubt Who to cry out to. When things looked hopeless, they all immediately cried out to Christ. That's definitely a lesson that needs to sink deep into my brain. When I'm frustrated with the way things are going around the house, I lash out at my wife. I blame her. I need to cry out to the Lord. When I'm frustrated with not knowing where my life is going, I'm tempted to jump ship rather than stay in the boat and ride out the storm with the Lord. Who know what kind of miracle He's going to perform? Know one knows what kind of opportunity will greet me once I land on shore. But I might have to weather the storm of my life before my feet are back on solid ground.

It's weird that I had to travel from warm tropical shores to the shores of the Redwood Coast to learn lessons I thought I already knew. What's next?

9 comments:

Chris Goeppner said...

eureka is weird, there is that sci-fi show about it. is all of that true?

Anonymous said...

Waddya mean, "what's next?" You don't have enough going on now, you have to ask for more? Goo'ness, Bryon!

Bryonm said...

chris: i heard about the tv show. all i can say is that fact is much stranger than fiction.

vicki: something is always next...

Anonymous said...

Bryon,
You, the beautiful and charming Susan and Ali are still a part of our everyday prayers. What a good sermon. How true that we need to relearn things we really oughtta know by now. We sometimes feel like we take one step forward and three steps backward here at our house! I thought it was just us.... feels like that at times. We only see everyone else's life from the outside. Your transparency, in giving us a glimpse of what is inside your home and heart, is an encouragement for all of us to share openly and encourage one another in this thing called life. I love the Nicole Mullins song "When I call on Jesus, all things are possible!" Some things, some days, seem completely overwhelming and it's all we can do to mutter the name Jesus and rest in the knowledge that He hears our hearts' cry and is working all things out for good even though the physical evidence of His good work hasn't been realized yet. We love you all!

Bryonm said...

Jody:
Thanks for the prayers and the encouragement...

Anonymous said...

Bryon--I can relate to learning new lessons. I've been walking pretty closely with the Lord for 8 years now. I was confident that I knew the Lord and my Bible quite well. Now suddenly within the last month, God has begun to show me an entirley new lesson. He's been revealing to me details about the awesome Power that He has given us through the Holy Spirit. And, it's like how did I miss this before? We do serve an all powerful God, and I have no doubt he wants to display that power in Ali's life. He has also given you His Power to withstand the storm.

Anonymous said...

Hi Pastor Bryon,
I recently viewed Heather Mercer's testimony on dvd entitled "Prisoner of Hope". She was one of the missionaries captured in Afghanistan. In it she says: When you are in trouble, forget the fancy praying and call on the Name of Jesus!

Praises to our God!
Jan Arant

Unknown said...

thanks for sharing that analogy, it's so true! you all are continually in my prayers! looking forward to seeing what He brings you through next...

-Liz

Anonymous said...

Bryon: "Sufficient unto the day...!"