Battling Doubt

Battles are raging in our house….especially in my heart& soul. I have been studying the book of Mark lately using Jim Branch’s devotional, Reflections. A few days ago I was reading the passage about Jesus sleeping in the boat while the storm was raging. The disciples doubted whether or not Jesus was going to take care of them. I can identify with that. Jim asked the question, “Where do you feel like there are storms raging in your life right now?” I had to laugh. Life feels pretty stormy all around…I could easily picture myself on that ship with the disciples. Since we made the commitment to move to Guatemala, we have had one sickness after another, been trying to sell our house & had an unusually high amount of laundry due to stomach bugs and wet beds. Typically, these things would just be chalked up to life with four kids in my mind…which is true. But it has also served to fuel the doubts already raging in my head: what am I going to do in Guatemala with sick kids? How am I going to get sheets clean & dry during the rainy season (when no laundry dries) and we are going through multiple sets of sheets in a matter of days? Little things, really, but those doubts (seas) are raging all around. So, it was sweet to read Mark 4:35-41 & remember that Jesus is present. He’s in the boat with me. Thank you, Jim, for these words of truth: “Even when we feel like we are about to go down, about to drown, about to be swamped, He indeed can rebuke the wind and the waves. He indeed can utter the words, “Quiet! Be still!” And he indeed can make the wind die down and the sea become completely calm.”