How busy is your mind? How rapid are your thoughts? How hard is it for you to be calm and find peace right now?

Last night I was trying to pray and my busy overwhelmed mind was bouncing from concern over my Daddy’s healthy, Traci’s marriage, sweet little Joy in the hospital, Jessica’s husband, Paula’s health, my boy in Korea, back to my Daddy and in circles until I fell asleep. That’s what my prayer life often looks like. Dizzing. And me and meditation are a constant battle. Are you like me, literally bouncing through a dozen random thoughts in the first 3 seconds of trying to be still? Are the squirrels having a rave in your mind? I get you bo … I would often describe my busy, cluttered, scattered mind like a stormy sea. Thoughts go crashing into one another like big waves, one after another after another. And here I am in the middle of all my thoughts on a little bitty boat that’s getting overwhelmed by the waves of my thoughts. Are you seasick from the rapid waves of thoughts crashing in your mind?

Remember in Matthew chapter 15 the section titled “Jesus Walks on Water”?
Starting in vs. 24 says “The disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”

Let me tell you something, Jesus loves to show up in stormy seas. He loves to walk right on top of those big crashing waves. And HE ALONE has the power to say “hush, be still” and the winds and the waves will obey him.

And this is the answer for our crazy waves of thoughts, stirring up our minds and keeping us in turmoil, distracting us from our mission … invite Jesus to calm your sea. Are you like the disciples, fighting heavy waves? Jesus, will you walk right into your mind, on top of the waves of your thoughts, and bring peace and calm. Jesus, will you still my mind? Will you tame these waves of worries, seas of sadness, uproars of uncertainty? The winds and the waves obey him in the sea, and they will obey him in your mind.

How long have you been trying to do this on your own? How exhausted are you?

James 1:6 – “The one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.”

Yes, this is what indecision and uncertainty looks like. Blown and tossed around, getting nowhere. Is this you?

Yesterday I was working on a particularly difficult scenario with several potential options, trying to find the best possible route to pursue and I just couldn’t make up my mind. The more I worked on it, the more frustrating it became. If I do it this way, then that is messed up. If I go that route, then this is effected. Back and forth I would go, rewriting the plan again and again. Doubting my ability to make an effective decision. And the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. Me in my little boat, being tossed about by all the possibilities and “what ifs”, rendering my power over the situation.

Sound familiar? Do you have some decisions to make and you’re just not sure of the correct one? Has your doubt got you seasick, tossed all over the place, overwhelmed by the options and the what if’s? INVITE JESUS TO WALK ON THOSE WAVES.

Jesus, come calm my mind. I can’t do this on my own.

Without fail, he brings peace. He may not bring an immediate clear answer, but he calms those waves so you can move forward.

We don’t have to go through life chasing our squirrels. We don’t have to be tossed about by the chaos. We can be focused. We can be efficient. We can be centered. And with the help of our water walking, wind rebuking, sea calming Jesus, we can quiet the noise in our mind, and be CALM. This is how we find our peace.