Don't Worry, I'm Here!

That evening Jesus’ disciples went down to the shore to wait for him. But as darkness fell and Jesus still hadn’t come back, they got into the boat and headed across the lake toward Capernaum. Soon a gale swept down upon them, and the sea grew very rough. They had rowed three or four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They were terrified, but he called out to them, “Don’t be afraid. I am here!” Then they were eager to let him in the boat, and immediately they arrived at their destination!

~John 6:16-21 

 

Way back when I was about 16 years old, my Dad asked me to help him take down a tree in our back yard.  I admit I wasn't too thrilled about it because I felt I had better things to do, but off we went to take down this tree.  Dad laid out the game plan: Since he had already removed the limbs, he would climb the tree, tie a rope around the top, then cut a wedge out so the tree would fall.  MY job was to take the other end of the rope, go to the far side of the yard (away from the house), and keep the rope taut.  When Dad cut the wedge, I was to pull the rope so the tree would fall in the middle of the yard and not on the house.

 

Like most plans, it seemed pretty straight forward on paper and in theory.  However......

All went according to plan.  I kept the rope taught, and when Dad cut the wedge out of the tree, I pulled for all I was worth.  (Side note here:  When I was 16, I was not the robust model of masculinity you see today.  I weighed around 90 lbs. and was probably the smallest person in my high school class.)  

 

Now, when I pulled the rope, the tree started leaning my direction and I thought this was going to be a pretty easy project.  Just as I finished that thought, a gust of wind blew the tree the opposite direction. As I felt myself begin to be dragged across the yard I, wisely or so I thought, decided to let go of the rope.  When I did, the rope wrapped around my arm and when the top of the tree fell into the neighbor's yard, I shot across the yard and into the tree hitting the trunk with a thunk our neighbor on the side I had been standing heard it inside her house.  And there I was, dangling about 15 feet off the ground by my rope entangled arm.

 

I knew this was not part of the plan because there was pain.  LOTS of pain!  There were rope burns, there were embedded splinters, there were lots of bruised places inside and outside.  This was NOT what the plan called for!  But then, I heard the most wonderful voice say, "Don't worry! I've got you!"  It was my Dad, who had come to get me down.

 

Think about the things that happen to you that you swear are NOT part of the plan.  If you are like most people (me included), your thoughts might go something like this: "IF God loves me, why do I have to hurt like this? IF God truly cares about me, why is my life so hard?  IF God truly wants what's best for me, why doesn't HE just give me what I need?"

 

If God did everything FOR us so that we didn't have to lift a finger, then would we really appreciate Him or would we become spoiled brats expecting more and more?  God NEVER promised an easy life, in fact Jesus told us that in this life we WILL have troubles and turmoil.  But He also promised to never leave us or reject us! 

 

Life IS hard, but God IS good!