Thursday, June 20, 2013


Welcome Guest Blogger Roseanna White. Roseanna is one of our favorite authors here at Inkwell, so make sure to note that she has a free novella available right now! Links are available at the bottom of the post. 


Allow me to draw your attention to Mark 4:37-41:

37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, 
so that it was already filling.  38 But He was in the stern, 
asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, 
“Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, 
“Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 
  40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you 
have no faith?”  41 And they feared exceedingly, and said 
to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind 
and the sea obey Him!”

Now, I've read those words approximately a hundred times, and I'm guessing everyone else has too. And I've always gotten out of it what the disciples did--wow, did you see that? The wind and waves obey Him! This Man rules the weather!!

Which is awesome. Truly, amazingly awesome.

I've also been struck before by His rebuke of the disciples--they'd just witnessed an amazing miracle, when He fed the 5,000. But they still didn't quite get it . . . and Jesus calls them on that, on their lack of faith.

But as I was reading this section this time, something new hit me. 

He didn't have to do any of that. Ever pause to consider that? It wasn't His time to die. He still had a whole lot to do. There was no possible way that the storm was going to hurt that little boat with its most precious cargo, and Jesus surely knew it. He had no fear, and it wasn't just because He knew He could calm the storm--it was because He knew it wasn't a threat.

And yet.

When his friends, his disciples wake him in a panic, what's his first reaction? He calms the storm. He doesn't first try to explain it to them. He doesn't roll his eyes and go back to sleep. He calms the storm. He does that for them--not to prove He can, but because He loved them. Because He didn't want them to fear.

And, maybe, because He knows they wouldn't have heard him until that fear was gone. 

I don't know why I'm constantly amazed when I realize how far out of His way our Lord goes for us, but it hit me anew here. Jesus could have done any number of things in this situation, and no matter what He had chosen, we know the outcome would have been a safe arrival on the other side. He could have done any number of things that resulted in the disciples seeing His glory.

But He chose the one that calmed his friends. That soothed their fears. And then, then he reminded them to have faith.

Thank you, Lord, for knowing me so well. For knowing that when the storm's upon me, I can't remember the sunshine was ever there. For knowing that clutching for you is, sometimes, all I can do. Thank you, Lord, for making it all I need to do.

Because You calm the storm. And then You remind me that it was in Your hand all along.

~*~ 

Roseanna M. White pens her novels under the Betsy Ross flag hanging above her desk, with her Jane Austen action figure watching over her. When she isn’t writing fiction, she’s editing it for WhiteFire Publishing or reviewing it for the Christian Review of Books, both of which she co-founded with her husband. 


The first novel in her Culper Ring Series from Harvest House, Ring of Secrets, released in March, and the sequel, Whispers from the Shadows, is coming in August. In the meantime, you can download a novella of the intervening years for free! Fairchild's Lady is set on the eve of revolution in France, following a British spy as he attempts to rescue two French ladies from the impending tide of terror. You can download it at Amazon, CBD, B&N, iTunes, and GooglePlay

6 comments:

  1. oh so true. I think we often KNOW that God has the situation under control but still we can only focus on how frightened we are. I love the way you've shown this.

    I had a situation last week where I just knew I would be looking back and wondering why I was stressing so much. And that's what happened. It worked out well, but boy I struggled at times in the middle.

    And learned a lesson about ignoring 'the nudge' back before it became a problem! And still He blessed me in it!

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  2. Oh yes, I think we've always been given those lessons on ignoring nudges! But He's so merciful and loving. Never ceases to amaze me.

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  3. Lovely encouragement today. Thanks, Roseanna.

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  4. Hello again, Roseanna. Good reminder. I love those nudges, not only because they're a big help, but because they remind me that God does indeed have His eye on me every second of my day.

    Wishing more successes come your way. :)

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  5. It's very rare when I read something that makes me well up with tears, but Roseanna, this did. It's beautiful and at a time when I need it most. Thank you.

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  6. Dina, thanks so much for inviting me to the Inkwell. =) I love visiting!

    Anita, thanks!

    Suzie...aww. So glad this post touched you today. It's one of my favorite realizations--even worked its way into my book!

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