DAILY HURRICANES

“And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.  And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?  And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.  And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Mark 4:36-41

King James Version 

Hurricane season started four days ago where I live but it doesn’t matter where you live or where I live because we always have hurricanes every day of our life.  We have hurricanes of criticism, judgment, sarcasm and ridicule.  Many years ago, one of my pastors preached a sermon on judging.  The pastor said “If you will make sure your own heart is right before God, you won’t have time to judge and criticize others”.

Does Jesus care when people say mean things to us, criticize us, ridicule us and break our heart?  Yes, He does care.  It breaks His heart when we hurt others by unkind words and actions.  Pastor Frank E. Graeff wrote a hymn about how much Jesus cares about us “Does Jesus Care?”  “Does Jesus care when my heart is pained Too deeply for mirth or song, As the burdens press, and the cares distress And the way grows weary and long?”  I am so glad to know that Jesus does care about me when I feel nobody else cares. 

It is very important that we encourage each other instead of judging, condemning and criticizing each other.  If you are not an encourager and you don’t say kind and loving words to people and do kind and loving things for them, no one will encourage you.  It is so true that we get back what we give out.  We don’t know what is in someone’s heart and the hurt and pain that they have so it is very important and urgent that we stop judging and condemning and start encouraging one  snother.

Joyce Landorf Heatherley, a Christian speaker and author, said on one of her teaching tapes called “Balcony People” that she was at an airport with a woman and the woman pointed to herself and said “Pastors and pastors wives need balcony people”.  Are you a balcony person to someone?  Are you saying kind and loving words or do you tell them what they are doing wrong?  It is time that all of us become balcony people and encouragers to each other.

Joanne Lowe

June 4, 2019