Pure Refreshment 2.12 -> The Perfect Storm

It wasn’t exactly the best night in the world to take a boat ride.

Yet it was the best night.

But before we get there, let’s go to earlier proceedings from the day. Jesus was teaching the people who gathered as he stood on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. At some point, the crowds got so large that he jumped into a boat and sat down to teach. On this day (as was standard practice), the method of choice was the parable. A sower, a lamp, a mustard seed . . . what did the kingdom of God have to do with any of these? The disciples were uncertain as well, but Jesus in private shared with them the eternal meanings of the simple stories.

As evening arrived, Jesus said to the disciples, “Let us go over to the other side” (Mark 4:35 [NIV]). With that, the group of thirteen jumped in the boat, left the crowd behind, and started for the eastern shore.

At this point, it’s important to know a little bit about the Sea of Galilee. It’s not the largest lake in the world, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in the area of geography. It’s almost 700 feet below sea level and is surrounded by hills. This means that winds can sweep in and turn the lake into a frothing, frenetic frenzy. And somewhere between the two shores, one of these frenzied storms reached the disciples’ boat.

As the passengers sat in the boat, the winds picked up and the waves began crashing higher and higher. Before long, water came crashing over the sides, terrifying the disciples—even experienced fisherman such as Peter, Andrew, James, and John (see Mark 1:16-20). In addition, we have no indication in the Bible that the disciples had any working lamps in the middle of this storm! This must’ve been a scary moment to end all scary moments—in the middle of a lake, miles from shore, in pitch darkness, while everyone gets drenched with water from all directions, praying that the storm stops before something horrific happens.

And what is Jesus doing? Is he screaming and feverishly trying to bail water out of the boat? Curiously, the Bible says this: “But he was in the stern, asleep on a pillow” (Mark 4:38a [NKJV], emphasis mine).

In the midst of the perfect storm, Jesus is asleep.

I’m sure the disciples were just as amazed as I was when I read that passage for the first time over a decade ago. He’s asleep? What? Well, he was God in the form of man, and he had been teaching and healing all day. But to be exhausted to the point where a massive storm didn’t cause him to wake up? Wow.

Now the disciples, fearful for their lives, ran to Jesus and said to him, “Master, save us!” Right?

Actually, they didn’t say that at all. Instead, they asked Jesus a question: “Master, don’t you care if we drown?” (Mark 4:38b [NIV]) I think that’s a fascinating question—especially the word ‘care.’ There was questioning among the disciples about whether Jesus cared about them.

Instead of immediately answering their question, Jesus got up and in the midst of the wind and waves, showed that he was Lord over them both. The winds were rebuked. The waves received a command: “Peace, be still” (Mark 4:39a [NKJV]).

Immediately, what seemed to be the scariest place in the world was now even scarier. A massive storm was reduced to nothing with only a few words, and now the Sea of Galilee was tranquil. And sitting inside the boat was God himself, asking them about their faith! No wonder the disciples were terrified! Yet in the end, the boat got to its intended destination, and Jesus’ ministry continued.

It wasn’t exactly the best night in the world to take a boat ride.

Yet it was the best night.

Stories like these have the ability of rocking us to our core and revealing who we truly are. The storms of our life will occur; nobody is exempt from these. However, God uses them to help reveal our true thoughts, intentions, and issues in a number of situations. How do we really feel about the people who have hurt us more than we’ve ever been hurt before? Can we forgive when it seems impossible to do? Who’s in control of our life: God or us?

It’s our choice about what we do with these realizations, of course. But once exposed, we must decide what to do. Do we try to handle them in our own power and strength, knowing that in the back of our mind, they will fail at some point? Do we question God as to whether he cares for us, knowing how much he cares about sparrows and lilies (hint: it’s a lot—and they’re just birds and flowers [see Matthew 6:25-29])? Do we relax and trust, knowing that the one who controls the outcome knows better than his creation? Or do we come up with another option altogether?

The way we deal with the storms of our lives—full of wind, waves, and devoid of light—can truly be times of refreshing for us if we remember who’s in the boat with us and that he cares for us. As you seek him and trust his ways more and more, may God refresh you, that you may in turn refresh others.

-------------------------

“Jesus promised the disciples three things---that they would be completely fearless, absurdly happy and in constant trouble.”
--GK Chesterton

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
--Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)

Pure Refreshment 2.11 -> Human Arrows

* Photo is the public domain - http://commons.wikipedia.org

In our society today, it takes all kinds of people to make a company successful. For every CEO, one can find vice presidents, secretaries, messengers, and a slew of workers, right down to the custodians and security guards that help keep a building clean and secure. To this end, some jobs are more desired than others.

A few months ago, I was looking through the newspaper classifieds when I came across a rather odd advertisement for a job. This particular company (or group) was looking for people to become human arrows. I thought to myself, "What in the world does a job like this entail?" Maybe it had something to do with individuals taking packages or letters from one location to another. Maybe it was like being a concierge at a hotel, informing guests of the best restaurants or helping them to secure good tickets to a hot concert. Maybe it was being one of those folks that stands in the airport terminal with a sign reading "Mr. Wilson" or "Mrs. Smith."

I honestly had no clue.

It wasn't too long until I found out what a human arrow was. Driving to the store that weekend, I spotted one, and suddenly it all made sense to me. It turns out that a human arrow is a person that is paid to stand on the side of a road (or at a street corner) and advertise for a particular establishment (as seen in the picture above*). These individuals hold up a sign shaped like an arrow to attract business, hence the name. This method of advertising is being increasingly used by cell phone companies, housing developments, and even restaurants.

After learning what the people who do this are called, I started thinking about our role as ambassadors for the Lord Jesus. In many ways, we are human arrows that have the opportunity to point people towards God. It's not an option if one calls themselves a Christian, but an integral part of the equation.

There are four key traits that separate an effective human arrow for God from one who is ineffective. I hope you find them useful in your situation.

The first and most obvious trait of a human arrow for Christ is that they actually have an arrow to use. Without one, it becomes quite difficult to convince people to stop by the establishment being advertised. A person without an arrow could look just like anyone else on the street corner or sidewalk, for there is nothing significant to set them apart from other people. For the Christian, this arrow is critical because it's difficult to tell others about Jesus if you don't know him in a meaningful and saving manner. And the only way to know him is to understand the significance of his life, why he came to earth, why he died on a cross, and what his return to life means. This can only be accomplished through a one-on-one relationship with him—no exceptions. Thus, one must have this relationship before the arrow can even come into play.

There is a second critical aspect of being successful at the position—one needs to point the arrow in the correct direction. If the young lady holding the arrow for the local pizza parlor turned her arrow the wrong way, passers-by might think that the restaurant could be in a nearby subdivision or even a completely different town. In the same way, the direction a Christian points the arrow is important. As we go through our days, we are constantly pointing people to God or to other less meaningful things. Thus, we need to constantly ask God what he wants us to do, then allow our lives to be directed by him so that the arrow we hold points others in his direction. After all, he desires that all people come to a knowledge of the truth he is and embodies (see 1 Timothy 2:1-4). So why not point people the right way?

Human arrows also must be active in order to attract customers. I've seen some people just holding their arrows, and I've seen others getting a workout from constantly moving their signs, as if to accentuate the direction they want people to go. Which do you think would be more effective? I think so too.

For a Christian, the key is to know that a life for Christ cannot be lived on auto-pilot. It's not ritualistic; it's not academic; it's not spent on the sofa with a remote control in hand. God demands that we get up and actively engage society with all its quirks, foibles, and stains from sin. It's messy, but whoever said that a life of faith would be easy? Not Jesus, that's for sure! (see John 16:1-4 for a look at what he told his disciples before he was crucified) We cannot live lives completely free of engaging with the world, so it's best that we stop avoiding it and start engaging it with the message Jesus brought to earth.

Finally, a good human arrow has to be alert at all times. In driving around town, I've observed a number of these people that acted oblivious to the world around them, entranced in the music coming from their iPod or perhaps just bored out of their minds. If a person works a job, they are expected to give their best 100% of the time, and for people pointing others to Jesus, the same is true. Opportunities will come as God directs them, and our responsibility at those times is to make the most of them, as Paul noted in Colossians 4:5-6. To do otherwise is to not be as effective an ambassador as we need to be.

Are you being as useful an arrow as you need to be? Consider these four qualities, and the next time you come across an individual holding an arrow on the side of the road (or the first time if you've never seen one in person), may you remember that we are to be the same way to those we meet, bringing them closer to God. And as he makes you an arrow (or more effective arrow), may you be refreshed, that you may go and refresh others.

"We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God."
--Paul, 2 Corinthians 5:20 (NIV)

"Truth without enthusiasm, morality without emotion, ritual without soul, are things Christ unsparingly condemned. Destitute of fire, they are nothing more than a godless philosophy, an ethical system, and a superstition."
--Samuel Chadwick