It’s the craziest thing . . . and really makes no sense to me.
When it is time to sleep – like in the middle of the night – I’m wide awake.
However, at other quite inopportune times I’m out like a light.
A few weeks ago I had been invited to some friends for dinner and afterwards we were sitting around talking, laughing, etc. Their dog had also joined in the action, curling up beside me on the couch. We began watching TV and the next thing I knew they were shaking me gently on the shoulder, “Andrea, we hate to wake you. But, it’s 10:30 and we know you still have to drive home.”
I was mortified. I’d fallen asleep (on their dog). And not only had I dozed off, I’d had a nice little THREE HOUR nap!
I could make a million excuses why I fell asleep in the company of my friends. I was tired, it had been a long week, etc. But the bottom line was, I sat down, was totally at peace and comfortable, and I fell asleep.
When Jesus got on the boat with the disciples to sail to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, he was exhausted. But, think about it. He must have felt extremely comfortable with them and extremely safe in their presence to simply lie down in an open boat and be in such a deep sleep that a severe storm didn’t wake him.
What a beautiful gift his friends gave him . . . the gift of being his safe place so that he could allow his soul to be at rest.
That’s one of the ways we can navigate the storms we have in our lives.
To make sure that our lives consist of friends that provide safe places for us.
Places where we can go and allow our souls to rest, to heal. Places where there is no judgment, just love. Places where we can be less than our best selves. Places where we can share our deep sadness and their ears are always inclined to listen. Places where we can have amazing things happen to us and for us and they will rejoice with us instead of having feelings of jealousy. Places where when we are hurt by life’s circumstances, they’ve always got our back.
Friends that give us acceptance and love, which supports us throughout our storms.
Making sure we have those types of friends in our lives is a tangible and significant way to prepare for life’s storms.
What kind of friends do you have surrounding you today?
Mark 4:
35-38 Late that day he said to them, “Let’s go across to the other side.” They took him in the boat as he was. Other boats came along. A huge storm came up. Waves poured into the boat, threatening to sink it. And Jesus was in the stern, head on a pillow, sleeping! They roused him, saying, “Teacher, is it nothing to you that we’re going down?”