Vacation Bible School (VBS) songs are meant to stick with you. Those earworm songs that you find yourself singing in your head constantly or embarrassingly out loud throughout the day. While we sang some great ones in the True North this past week, “Calm the Storm” seems to be the one that has been ruminating in my head.
Is it because of the busyness of this past month, uncertainty about future life events, the upheaval in the world, or the combination of it all? My mind seems to be all over the place or stuck in one area. It’s been a struggle to keep brewing clouds from overtaking the trust that I have that Jesus will always lead me through the storms.
“Calm the Storm” seems to be a fitting reminder of trusting in Jesus in all of life’s circumstances. The song reflects the story of Jesus calming the storm after he woke up on the boat (Matthew 8:23-27). It’s a great story to explore Jesus’ identity, an example of what trusting him looks like, and the very normal confusion and wonder of the disciples in the discovery of faith. God is unshakable in all storms and forever faithful to us as we practice putting our trust in God alone.
This month, as we are living into God’s call to truly love and welcome all both in Pride and VBS, there have been beautiful examples of trusting God to equip us in the storms. At Hamilton Pride, faithful and prepared counter-protesters were ready to block any hate groups that appeared at the festival. They were there to calm the storm that could be volatile, dangerous, and hurtful. Clergy and other people of faith were trusting that their message of God’s love would quell the abhorrent messages. Amazingly, the hate groups never came. Did our cloud of rainbow umbrellas and powerful but peaceful stand against them last year leave a lasting impression? That’s the power to calm the storm that actions rooted in the teachings of Jesus evokes.
At VBS, there was a group that was truly a storm of energy and spirit. While we try our best to balance groups with a mix of kids and their adult and youth helpers, we never quite know how the combination will turn out. While we didn’t know, God certainly did, as the perfect leaders were assigned to this little band of energy. The adults and teens were unflappable in their ability to roll with the waves and lighting bolts of this group. They cared for the kids in the fullness of their spirits and relished in their uniqueness. The leaders embraced the storm with joy and trusted that Jesus would keep them in his care. Those children felt God’s love embodied in their leaders.
What storm is brewing in your life? How can the image of Jesus calming the storm and asking the disciples to trust in him change your perspective? At VBS this past week, trusting in Jesus enveloped us every day: Trusting when we wonder, when we feel alone, when we feel powerless, and when we need help.
Praying that my ear worm persists and that I have now passed it along to you (“Calm the Storm” by Jonathan Rundman). Jesus is the ever present force in our lives that we can truly trust to “Calm the Storm”.
God’s peace always,
Angie Seiller, Director of Faith Formation