Faith

---

Then He made the disciples
get into the boat
and go before Him
to the other side.
[Matthew 15:22]
**************************
"Lord, why do You send
us DIRECTLY into the path
of a STORM?"

[SILENCE.]

"I don't UNDERSTAND?"

"Read My Word, child."

"Yeah, Lord.
Right here:

....He made the disciples
get into the boat....
while He dismissed the crowds....
He went up on the mountain....
to pray....
[Matthew 14:22-23]

and here:

When evening came....
the boat...was many furlongs
...from the land...
beaten by the waves....
the wind was against them.
[Matthew 14:23-24]"

[NOD.]

"What's a FURLONG,
Lord: like, a MILE?"

[NOD.]

(smile.)
"I thought, maybe, it
had somethin to do
with a big, furry dog."

[LAUGH!]

"So, there's 2 things, Lord:
1) How come Jesus didn't
get in the boat, WITH them?
and
2) Why did He send them
on PURPOSE, into the STORM?"

[PATIENT SILENCE.]

(squint up at air vent)
"SO? How COME?"

"Tell Me, child."

"Eh.....'cuz, He just wanted
some time to HIMSELF?"

[SMILE.]

"I would've been NUTS,
Lord! I mean, all those
PEOPLE kept FOLLOWIN
Him, AROUND!"

"No, child."

"Eh....couldn't He have
just prayed, in the BOAT?"

"No."

"Well.....okay;
so, Jesus wanted to be
alone, to pray."

[NOD.]

"Yeah, but why didn't
He just tell His disciples
to go have some DINNER?
Wouldn't have that been
SMARTER?"

[CHUCKLE.]

"I'm just teasin, Lord.
So, why did that STORM
come up? Didn't Jesus
know that His friends
were gonna get SCARED?"

"Yes, child."

"Well.....wasn't that, eh...."

"Cruel, child?"

"Well....I don't want to
be that irreverent, Lord.
How about........eh, TOUGH?"

[NOD.]

"So, it was tough LOVE,
Lord? That's what they
started calling it, in
the '70s: not YOUR
'70s, Lord, OUR '70s."

[SMILE.]
"I understand, My precious."

"SO? Was that what
it WAS, Lord?"

"Was it, child?"

"Hm.......I don't know.
Sometimes, I think
You get a little too TOUGH,
with ME."

"Why, My beloved."

"Eh.......well, You know ME,
Lord: I throw UP in boats.
I can't even sit in one,
on LAND."

[PATIENT NOD.]

"In fact, I have trouble
just thinkin about it,
right NOW."

[SYMPATHETIC NOD.]

(squirm)
(make a face)
"Anyhow, Lord;
is it because You want
OUR love to be TOUGH?"

"And, My beloved?"

"To have FAITH?"

"Good, child."

(thoughtful silence)
"It's a good thing
You never made me
a millionaire, Lord."

"Why, child."

"I could've never had a yaht."

[LOVING NOD.]
*****************************
....in the fourth watch
of the night
He came to them,
walking on the sea.
But when the disciples
saw Him.....they were
terrified........
and they cried out for fear.
....He spoke to them,
saying:
Take heart,
it is I;
have no fear.
[Matthew 14:25-27]

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE