Nate’s Blog

At the beginning of this week off my family and I went on a quick trip to New Bridge Oregon to pay a visit to my father and drop my sister off. This was a hard time for my family as my sister is now living there for the rest of the year. This was a good move for her, but for us we feel we have lost apart of our family.

            The drive home was somber as we’d left one person behind and faced the dark grey sky of a storm in front of us. There was a silence present that was not there before and I felt the absence of my sister almost immediately. Everyone was trying to have a good time but there was an absence that was felt throughout the car.

            We decided to stop in Baker City for dinner and as we sat there talking the mood was lifted but there were still dark storm clouds surrounding us, and then as we neared the end of dinner the storm hit. It started with a gust of wind that picked up the dust around us leaving us blind to our surroundings. The lightning streaked down hitting the ground and the thunder roared loud shaking the building. Then the rain fell like drops of water balloons, each one exploding on you leaving you drenched.

            Admittedly there was a small fear in me but then I remembered the story in Mark 4:35-41 were Jesus calmed the storm. This story has helped me through many of my fears growing up. As I remembered Jesus’ words “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” it struck me that in this moment of a physical storm there was also an emotional one within me and my family.

            Like the disciples I had found myself crying out to God asking “do you not care for me or my family” and it felt like he was sleeping on the deck, then those sharp words came back to me “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” I was reminded, in my storm, that Jesus IS there even when it feels like He is sleeping.