God, Are You Asleep?

When our lives are turbulent, chaotic, and overwhelming it can seem like God is asleep, can’t it? He’s resting in the back of the boat while I’m flailing about in the waves that threaten to take my boat down. We might be like the disciples thinking: Jesus, what are you doing? Why are we facing this by ourselves? Why are you asleep as we’re facing these difficulties?

This is especially true when you’ve faced a certain wave for a really long time. Perhaps it’s been an exhausting battle. Is God just sleeping at this point as you send up prayers that seem empty and forgotten? 

Think of the waves as spiritual, emotional, relationship, work, financial, or other stressors and tribulations in your life. They catch our attention and often too much of it. Think of how much time you spend worrying about and consumed in thoughts and feelings about those waves. Think of the fears you have about them, especially that God isn’t going to do anything to calm them down. Think of how many times you lose sight of God's presence in the midst of them.

If you’re like me, you’ll take it upon yourself to use all of your human strength to battle the wave yourself and try to control it! You'll work harder. You'll try to find a human solution. But Jesus tells us today that He is the One who can bring peace and calm to those waves, and inevitably, we do find that God brings calm and peace to the waves of our life. But sometimes we have to go find it or ask for it from Jesus Himself.

I think the call to action for us during the waves of life is to learn small ways to turn our attention from them and find rest and calm in Jesus through prayer, meditation, and reflection. Further, we’re asked to recognize that the Lord is not sleeping through our tributions, but there with us through it all as Lord of the universe. Let’s not forget that He is in control and not us.