7.10-Jesus Today, Storms in a River Raft

Today 23 years ago today. Written 7.10.17

Sunday, 7.10. 94, 

23 years ago today.

 

I remember riding up to Buena Vista, Colorado to River Runners at Brown’s Canyon. We had some time to eat lunch and play around a while. Some guys grabbed some girls and pushed them into the river and some of the girls liked it and some didn’t as I recall. No harm was done there. Just teens having fun with each other.

We had some sandwiches and chips for lunch. Then we loaded into the rafts to get some basic instructions on how to paddle when we were asked to do so to keep the rafts going where they were supposed to go. The river was extremely high and there had been a couple of drownings that year in this river as I recalled. This caused us to listen closely to the instructions of our guide.

We started as a team and listening to our guide for our survival depended upon it. The scenery was different and glorious. The sun was shining bright and the temperature was perfect. Everyone in our boat was smiling from ear to ear. I don’t recall ever smiling as much and as long as I did on this day.

On the other hand we had a close call. I was very afraid that one of our teens was going to drown when someone went overboard into a giant whirlpool. The person was not knocked out and had on a life jacket and went down under, but followed instructions and soon was pulled back into the boat.

Up and down and down and up. It reminded me of trying to ride a bucking bull with five people and our guide.

There were times I thought we were going to drown.

Have you ever had a time when you were in some kind of situation that you thought was the storm was your last to survive.

There were some guys in a situation like that and Jesus was with them in the boat. As they were frightened to the point of death by fright they called on Jesus.

Where was Jesus?

He was in the stern asleep on a cushion.

Why? Because He knew the Father in heaven. He knew that He would take care of His children regardless of the situation. He knew that all power was in the control of God. He spoke a word and the storm calmed down.

Are we in storms sometimes and we spend more time speaking to people who don’t know God. Or spending time speaking to people who claim to know God, but don’t talk to Him much. Or do we spend time actually talking to God.

I have an exercise for you to try. If you are in a storm of some kind. Follow the guidance of your guide on this raft adventure called life on earth. Get alone and pray. That is what we who follow Jesus can do.

For one week take ten minutes per day to get in a quiet place and turn off all sounds. Except nature sounds, the crickets or locusts, sparrow, robin, bluejay or cardinal.

Read a Psalm a day for a week and just pray. Praise God for all the beauty around you. Praise God for your health and mental health. Thank Him for your food and drink. Thank Him for freedom from pain in some of your joints. Praise Him for the family and friends whom you love dearly. Then give the problem to Him. Lay it out honestly and completely to Him. Quietly listen as He speaks to your heart.

Larry Wishard (Third back on left)

7.10.17