“You rule the raging sea; when its waves surge, you still them.” Psalm 89:9 CSB
Nothing scares me like a tsunami. Ever since the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean I have gained a new respect for the power of the sea. A tsunami usually is the result of an earthquake in the middle of the ocean. It creates two different types of waves, one that goes further out to sea and one that heads to the closest shoreline. In the case of the Indian Ocean tsunami, a 900 ft. fault line between where the Indian and Australian tectonic plates meet is where it occurred. It caused several 100 foot waves to hit the Banda Aceh coast just 20 minutes after the earthquake occurred. It happened the day after Christmas, more than a 100,000 people were killed. It was devastating.
Why God didn’t still those waves in 2004 I don’t know. It doesn’t stop me from believing He could. Natural disasters are part of life on earth. They are part of the trouble Jesus talks about when He says, “in this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33 NIV). When one occurs, it reminds me how precious life is. How we don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but we have today. It helps remind me to live in the moment, be grateful for what I have. As Job so gracefully put it, the Lord gives and the Lord takes away (Job 1:21 NIV).
Life can act like a tsunami. An earthquake can happen: illness, job loss, death of a loved one, spiritual doubts. Something that causes an uncontrollable wave of emotion and pain to start rippling over you. It sucks up all of the positive energy, replacing it with fear, panic, heartache. It can cause destruction in relationships, in your life. Often, when we are overcome with pain we can lash out at others unnecessarily, causing the wave of pain to now move from ourselves to those around us. Its yelling at your husband for something someone else did to you. It’s taking it out on your kids because they happen to be close by when the earthquake happens. Whoever is closest to you, usually are the ones who reap the effects of the earthquake. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
When the tsunamis in life happen, acknowledge the emotions that come with it. Take time to let the wave roll off of you before you take action. Give God time to work in your life. Give Him time to do what only He can do before you respond to it. Remember, just like he can calm the seas, he can calm whatever situation you’re dealing with today. He can still the waves, smooth the surface and bring you back to the peace you knew before the earthquake. He can calm the seas so you can “seas” the day!
