6-25-2006

Celebrating the freeing, supportive presence of God. So your experience of God may become your experience of life. It is wonderful what God can do!

“The Perfect Storm”

June 25, 2006

The phrase, The Perfect Storm seems at the outset to be a contradiction within itself since in terms of weather we usually associate the word perfect with beautiful weather conditions and the word storm with bad weather conditions. Our Scripture, however, uses the word perfect at times to mean complete or manifest as in “be perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect” meaning that one of our goals as Christians is to function within a realm of complete or manifest love toward all.

The phrase the perfect storm is associated with the 1991 Halloween Nor’easter event, of October 1991 wherein a powerful weather system had gathered force, ravaging the Atlantic Ocean over the course of several days and causing the deaths of several fisherman and billions of dollars of damage. In that case, the merging of two low-pressure areas, a large flow of warm air from the south, cold air from the north, and moisture feeding into the storm from the warm ocean current of the Gulf stream, all combined with exceptionally strong cold northwesterly winds, and strong warm Northeasterly winds that moved up from the south, spinning counter clockwise in typical low pressure behavior, created an exceptionally strong storm across a very large area. Had the storm been more concentrated, it might have looked more like a hurricane. Without typical hurricane warnings, fisherman and smaller vessels at sea were caught in hurricane-like conditions.

In other words, the perfect storm results from many or most of the ideal or perfect weather elements coming together at the right point and time. Though not technically qualifying as a hurricane, and less predictable than a hurricane, is yet able to wreak as much havoc, destruction, and death.

The Disciples of Jesus found themselves caught offshore in an unpredictable storm much like that which we have just described. It is profoundly interesting that these disciples had Jesus right in the boat with them and yet were panicked beyond belief. Jesus had been telling them all along to have faith, but at this point, they still were without understanding as to what having faith means!

They were in total fear for their lives as the winds and the waves beat against them and threatened to capsize their vessel. They had done everything in their power and in their knowledge that a person familiar with the sea could have done to persevere against the elements. But they were left weary, hopeless, and fearing for their future.

And so they awoke Jesus from his sleep and asked a rather thoughtless question, “Don’t you care that we are perishing?” First of all, Jesus was asleep so how could he be aware of their alleged perishing? Second of all, it is interesting to note that Jesus apparently was resting quite soundly in the knowledge that all would be well until he had fulfilled his mission. Third, it is interesting to see how little understanding the very disciples who lived and worked with Jesus every day had about the level of his love and compassion!

Is it any wonder that Jesus responds with “oh you of little faith.” For as great as their need was, the power present with them was far greater!

How many times have our own lives experienced the turmoil of storm and destruction? How many times have the courses of travel which we have set for ourselves been interrupted by extended illness, injury, death, lack of funds or lack of available opportunities. How many job interviews have not worked out? How is it that we react to these storms? Dare I say that many cry forth, “Lord! Don’t you care that we are frustrated, frightened, and frozen in time?”

Does anyone remember the “Where’s the Beef” lady in the Wendy’s commercials of the 1980s? The first commercial had them at a counter and being offered a huge bun with a very small hamburger patty inside. They were in control of the situation and demanded of those behind the counter, “Where’s the Beef?”

The second commercial, however, has the little short lady in the back seat of a car being driven in the front seat by the other two ladies. They are carelessly rushing through the streets of town searching for a place that had a favorable burger size. They were turning every corner at a high speed causing the little lady in the back seat to fly from one side of the car to the other side by the force created by the erratic driving. Her body and her life were actually out of control, but she still had the stamina and determination, while being forced left and right across the seat to call out with determination, “Where’s the Beef?”

Yes, the point was made. It did not matter how much turmoil she was experiencing in that back seat, her eyes and her goal was on the prize—a hamburger with plenty of ground beef. That is our question today. What distraction in life and in your goals will cause you to take your eyes off faith in God?

There’s an old saying, “When the times get tough, the tough get going.” We could amend that to be our own slogan. “When the times get rough, the roughed-up depend on Christ.”

Our graduates of 2006 have a road before them that looks long, profitable, and filled with hope. We each pray diligently that God will direct their paths and lead them into success and joy.

In the midst of our prayer, we also realize that there will be difficult times ahead requiring clear thinking and much stamina. And so we pray also that our graduates will learn the lesson that Jesus tried so hard in the early days to teach his disciples—have faith in him—not only as a slogan—but as a powerful reality.

We pray also, that if and when it becomes necessary to evaluate and change the course of events that they had planned on, we ask God to give them the strength, stamina, and perspective to clearly see the new direction that they might take.

When high school graduates are just starting out in life, and again when they are college graduates and just starting out new again, it is impossible to realize how quickly life will pass. Earning a living and raising a family will take all of our earthly time if we allow it to. We must each make special efforts for the sake of both ourselves and our families, to take time out to thank God and to work for God so we are prepared to enter God’s kingdom when God calls on us.

“Where’s the Beef?” The real beef—the real life—is found in the next journey known as eternal life. We live this life in preparation. When our earthly days are over we will want to be sure that we have stored up heavenly-type treasures, because we are sure to be unable to take our earthly ones with us.

Don’t let the perfect storm, or even the milder thundershowers distract you from the call of God on your life. Place God at the operating center of this life and you will have success both now and for all of your eternal life! God bless you each as you keep your eyes and ears open for God’s leading. Amen.