By Karen Sheehy at spiritualsafariguide.com

Untitled via Pixabay. CCO

 

“Faith is like radar that sees through the fog, the reality of things at a distance that the human eye cannot see,” from The Hiding Place by Corrie Temp Boom.1

The Sea of Galilee, a large freshwater lake in Israel, is 13 miles long, 8.1 miles wide, and approximately 33 miles in circumference. Much of the ministry of Jesus occurred on the shores of this sea, including the recruitment of His first four apostles (Simon, Andrew, John and James), the Sermon on the Mount, the walking on water, the miraculous catch, and the calming of the storm.

The calm waters of the Sea of Galilee can quickly become transformed by an unexpected and powerful wind storm. Trapped in a basin, between the hills of Galilee and the eastern Golan Heights, these winds can prove deadly for fishermen. We read about such a violent storm in the gospel account called, The Calming of the Storm, (Mark 5:37-40). During this event, violent winds created large waves, over 10 feet tall, which began to over take the small, open fishing boat of the apostles. Awakened, Jesus asked, “Why are you so terrified? Why are you lacking faith?” By asking these questions, Jesus pointed out, to His apostles and us, the true source of fear and anxiety: a lack of certitude or belief in God’s loving providence.

Jesus’ subsequent calming of the storm should provide us with a great sense of peace, amidst the trials and uncertainties in our lives, even when it appears that Jesus, Himself, is asleep or unaware of our current situation. At these times, when fear and anxiety try to over power us, let us pray for the courage and faith to place our trust in God’s loving concern.

In closing, let us consider a few additional quotes from The Hiding Place1, by Corrie Temps Boom, a Dutch Watchmaker and Christian who, along with her family members, helped many Jews escape the Nazi holocaust during World War II.

“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”

“There is no panic in Heaven! God has no problems, only plans.”

“When we are powerless to do a thing, it is a great joy that we can come and step inside the ability of Jesus.”

“There is no ‘ifs’ in God’s Kingdom. His timing is perfect. His will is our hiding place. Lord, Jesus, keep me in Your will! Don’t let me go mad by poking about outside it.”

1 Corrie Temp Boom and Elizabeth Sherrill, The Hiding Place, Chosen Books, Grand Rapids, MI, 2006.

About the Author:

Karen Sheehy is a devout Catholic, wife and mother, motivational speaker, blogger and developer of spiritualsafariguide.com, your passport to a world of spiritual inspiration and understanding. To learn more about Karen Sheehy and her upcoming book entitled, The Healing Eyes of Mercy. A Journey Towards the Light of God’s Love, visit http://www.spiritualsafariguide.com