In the United States, the first Monday of September we pay tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country. We call it 'Labor Day'. We depend on our government to give structure to our system of capitalism. We owe our success as a country to our Constitution and forefathers who had the wisdom and tenacity to lead. We are "One nation under God..." and this is more important than anything else. God is our guiding light.
You may have noticed, He lets us fail as well as succeed. He has put us through many trials and tribulations and yet we are strong. And, above all, we owe those who work hard to become self sufficient, to give as well as receive, and to do the 'heavy lifting' of keeping our country strong and free. We need everyone of you! Your skills, talents, willingness and determination are the backbone of this country. You are the ones who made America great and will keep America great.
This Labor Day, September 3, 2019, we are a bit consumed with Hurricane Dorian. This is a huge storm capable of so much damage. It has struck the Bahamas and we don't know where it will go next. I have family in Florida and near the coast of North Carolina - two states that are in danger today. I am reminded of the stories my mother-in-law used to tell about Florida hurricanes. My in-laws retired in 1959 and moved to Ft. Lauderdale. They lived in a small home on one of the many canals and survived several hurricanes. I remember how my mother-in-law, Bertha, described what it felt like when the 'eye' of the storm passed over - suddenly the wind stopped, the rain ceased, the quiet was almost eerie. Everyone relaxed and enjoyed the reprieve, but braced themselves knowing the eye would pass and they would again be battered by the storm.
I've never been in a hurricane, but I've had storms in my life. Storms come to us in many different ways - illness, loss of a loved one, physical or emotional pain, financial hardship, depression or addiction. I never like these storms, but in retrospect, I am grateful for every one of them because I know in the midst of trouble there is an 'eye', a place of peace and rest, even joy! Peace is not the absence of of chaos in your life - it's the calm of knowing the overwhelming ever-lasting love of God.
In Mark 4 we read about a time when Jesus was preaching and at the end of day he said to the disciples, "Let us go over to the other side", vs 35. They got in a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee leaving the crowd of people behind. Jesus had fallen asleep when a big storm arose and frightened the disciples. They awoke Jesus. . .
"He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, Quiet! Be still!" Mark 4:39
Then Jesus asked his disciples why they were afraid. "Do you still have no faith?"
The disciples at that time had not yet received the Holy Spirit; they didn't completely comprehend who Jesus is. And so it is with us, if we do not know Jesus as Lord and receive the power of the His Spirit in us. . .we have no faith and we are afraid.
David wrote in Psalms 91 "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty". God is always faithful and will always fight for those who belong to him. We may search all over the place to find that elusive 'peace' only to discover that this peace we need in our life is Jesus himself - Ephesians 2: 13-14.
I recently bought some small packets of Kleenex tissues. I was surprised to see each one had a short encouraging message. . .
* Seize this Moment
* Summon your Strength
* Believe in Yourself
* Find your Fearless
These are all good, but don't try and do these things on your own, you may get frustrated and feel defeated. Stop looking everywhere and anywhere for the peace and joy you seek in life. Make Jesus the Lord of your life. He can do for us what we can never do for ourselves; ask for the faith to believe. Storms will still come, life won't be perfect but you will always be able to rest in the shadow of the Almighty!
Thank you Lord for helping us get through the hard times. Knowing that You can calm the sea and rebuke the waves gives us hope to go on - just knowing you are the God of overwhelming and everlasting love.
