Just a nod

Late Friday afternoon when the rain stopped, I made a round with my oldest son to check hog traps.  He hopped on his four-wheeler and assumed I was going to ride with him.  Well, I did not.  I got on his brother’s four wheeler and drove myself. 

It was so peaceful and nice to head out with him to the “backside” as we call it.  The rain had calmed down any dust that would have been a nuisance, so I followed right behind him.

Brazos rides the most around here. I trusted he knew where he was going and what was safe or unsafe for us to travel through.  I cautiously crossed a dugout after him. If it had been too steep for me, he would have stopped me.  He parked on the other side of the creek and turned back to look at me. He  nodded for me to come on over.  He did not say a word, but just gave me a nod with his chin going up as if to say “Come on, Mom.”

Come to think of it, we did not talk the whole time.  When Brazos wanted me to go this way or that way, he would just nod his head in the direction we were going. I trusted him, and I followed him.    The fact I could understand him with only nonverbal clues made me realize that even though he is an adolescent boy and I am his mom, we are pretty close.

When he gave me a nod towards the end of our trip, I asked myself a question.  I asked “Self, do you understand nods from the LORD and trust His guidance responding with obedience just like you do Brazos?”

Oh, what a question that is and what a desire of my heart that is!  Not to oversimplify, but what I want most of all in life is to know what the Lord wants me to do and to do it!  How I yearn to understand and obey God when he gives me just the littlest of little nods.  (You know, he does start off with a gentle gesture and then His promptings progress all the way to whatever it takes to get our attention.)

I heard a powerful, yet simple message this morning in church about my relationship with Jesus Christ.  It was based on Mark 4: 35-41.  It reminded me that Jesus is with me all of the time.  I just have to keep my eyes on Him and trust Him. 

This passage is when Jesus calms the storm.  The disciples woke him up in a panic because they were so afraid of the storm they were facing. He told the wind and waves “Quiet!  Be still.”  Then, he asked the disciples “Why are you so afraid?  Do you still have no faith?” I feel like Jesus is still speaking those words to us today, to those of us who are willing to listen and invite Him into their boat. 

He says to our storms…Be still.  Get this though:  He allows the storms so that He can calm them for us and cultivate a trusting relationship.

Then, after all is better, He must look on us shaking his head and thinking “Do you still have no faith?”  I can just hear Him saying to me “COME ON KIDDO, don’t you get it?  I am in the boat with you.”

Dear friend, Is Jesus in the boat with you?   If so, when the next storm comes your way, remember that the one who can calm the storm is by your side! 

If not, ask Jesus to be your Savior today and to join you in life.  Life’s storms are honestly unbearable without Him.