Where Is Your Faith?
Read Luke 8:22-25
"They went to him and woke him up, shouting, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" And he woke up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves; they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, "Where is your faith?" --Luke 8:24-25
It is hard for me to believe that my tenth wedding anniversary will be this year! I remember, as though yesterday, our beautiful little wedding (right outside in the church garden with only a handful of friends and family), and the celebration we had a few months later in Pennsylvania for my large extended family and friends. I was the only one in my immediate family born in Michigan; the rest were from the Allegheny mountain region of Pennsylvania. It was always my dream to have my wedding celebration in the tiny country church next to my Grand-mother's old farmhouse, in Fallen Timber, Pennsylvania, which is part way up the side of a mountain. The area is gorgeous, and I used to spend summers there as a child. The day of the family celebration was wonderful, and the wedding ceremony, conducted by a country preacher, Rev. Warful, very moving. He asked my husband, Kelly and I, if we had a particular piece of scripture that we wanted to use in the service. We decided on the story of Jesus calming the sea, as sailing has been a big part of both of our lives, and we absolutely love the water. In his sermon, Rev. Warful pointed out that the only answer that we can give to Jesus' question in the gospel passage we had chosen is, "Our faith is in you, Master!".
As many of my church friends know, our marriage has been eventful, to say the least, from practically the first day. Major surgery for both of us, a triple by-pass for Kelly, multiple hospitalizations, lost jobs, Kelly's heart attack and three strokes, many, many EMS runs to save Kelly's life, a major car accident and other problems of a more personal nature have been a major part of our life together over the past decade. Yet today, our marriage, and our faith, is stronger than ever. We have come to learn that the only security and constant in our somewhat tumultuous lives is the Lord, and we have learned to place our problems in his hands. With Jesus' help, our marriage has survived and our love for each other grown immensely. I've often thought about what Rev. Warful told us when we stood before him as
newlyweds, ten years ago. He was so right!
Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you for the gift of faith, and teach us to place our daily concerns in your merciful and protective hands. Amen.
Thought for the Day: The Lord is always with us, including in times of great trouble.
Prayer Focus: Those struggling with marital problems.
Joyce Reynolds (from March 18, 2006)
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