Journaling

I visited a old friend of mine yesterday.  By old I mean I have known her literally ALL my life.  She was born one day before me.  She has not lived close to me in  a very long time and has recently moved back.  I don't think I realized how much I have missed my friend until I spent time with her again.  I am very glad to have reconnected! I am looking forward to a new chapter with her in it.

When I was visiting her I noticed her nice Vera Bradley bible cover, as I commented on how I like it, I noticed a cute journal sitting on top of it and asked her about it.  (Love me some fun writing tablets, must buy them almost everytime I see them.  It is a sickness.)  She said she had read an article about the benefit of writing the scriptures.  She had just recently started, so showed me what she had writing and what she had learned.  So the very next day I took myself to BN and found me a cute journal to start my quest to writing scripture.

So I have been reading Matthew because that will be our study in BSF in a few weeks.
The text I found myself on was:

Matthew 8:23-27  

Jesus Calms the Storm

²³ Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. ^{24 Without warning} a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. ²⁵ The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” ²⁶ He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. ²⁷ The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

My journaling:
I find myself stopped at the phrase "without warning."
Without warning, what comes up in our life without warning?
fear, anger, bitterness, resentment, old wounds and hurts, insecurity, loneliness
It appears suddenly, without warning and sweeps over us like a giant wave, knocking us off balance.  We find ourselves completely unprepared, without the tools necessary to cope with these unwelcome feelings. We find ourselves blindsided by the master of blindsiders.  We were sitting ducks, completely unaware.  So many times I allow myself to be overtaken.  I try to find a way to navigate on my own.  Looking desperately for a way out of the storm.  Gasping for breath, trying to gain footing inbetween the crashing waves.  Unsuccessfully!
What should I do when I find myself without warning in the midst of a furious storm of unwelcome emotions?.....
Go to the next verse... But Jesus was sleeping.  Jesus is always at peace.  Never affected by Satan's attacks.  Always there to calm my storm.
But the disciples had to go to Jesus.  They had to wake him up.  He didn't just appear and say I'll take care of everything.  They had to go to him, just as we must go to Jesus.  When we find ourselves in the midst of a storm, we must go to him.  We must go to him.  We must go to him.  He will be there.  He will help us.  He will always be there to help us, but we must go to him.  He cannot help us if we do not go to him.  So often it takes me awhile to go to him.  Why?  I have no good answer.
My response is much like the disciples?  How could you be sleeping through THIS?  Seriously?  My life is in peril and you are asleep!  Help me!!!
Jesus' response:  "You of little faith.   Why are you so afraid?"  Jesus is not fazed.  Jesus is not frantic.  Jesus is not worried.  Jesus is not unable to deal with ANY wave we throw at him.
He gets up, rebukes the winds and the waves and it was COMPLETELY calm.
That is what Jesus can do to my waves, COMPLETELY calm them with a WORD!
So when I find myself in the midst of a furious storm without warning, what should I do, how should I respond....Go to the one who can calm my storm completely with a word.