shadow

Starr Ayers

Storm Warning

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“Immediately, Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.       Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them.”
Mark 6:45‒48a, NIV

Our ship left Prince Edward Island and sailed up the Gulf of St. Lawrence toward Quebec City. The waters had been relatively calm, considering we’d left Boston on the heels of Hurricane Earl. The night’s forecast: a strong gale and rain. We hadn’t interpreted “strong gale” to mean seventy mph winds and fifty-foot waves that would rock us sleepless. Perhaps that night, I experienced some of the same emotions the disciples did in their storm.

After a full day of ministry, the disciples waited in the boat for Jesus. Would the throngs of people ever leave? The moments must have felt like hours as the storm clouds gathered overhead. Imagine their readiness as Jesus gave them the green light to go on ahead of him to the other side of the lake. Serving their Master was invigorating. A few storm clouds would never dampen their spirits.

Later that evening, the storm rolled in. The disciples were vulnerable and afraid. As the waters threatened to overtake their small boat, they struggled to stay on course. Surely Jesus knew the storm was coming. Why would he send them out to face it alone? Where was Jesus when they needed him?

Mark 6 addresses the common misconception that following God assures smooth sailing. Jesus wasn’t oblivious to the storm. He sent the disciples out alone knowing they would encounter the storm. Uprooting them from their comfort zones and placing them in a situation which required extreme faith, would reveal their weaknesses, strengthen their spiritual muscles, and ultimately summon them to new depths of dependency on him. The experience would allow them to see the futility of braving life’s difficulties in their own strength.

Jesus ordained the storm, but his compassion for his disciples transcended it. Although the disciples lost sight of Jesus, he never lost sight of them. From the mountain, he watched and prayed to his Heavenly Father for their safety and at just the right moment, he intervened.

Storms come to us all—even believers. We’re not sheltered from them, but we are sheltered in them. Perhaps, you’re experiencing opposition as you strive to do God’s will? Are you straining at the oars? Can you relate to the futility of self-effort? Don’t allow storm clouds to dampen your spirits. Rest in the following truths: Jesus’s eye is always on you. His prayers continually cover you. And he will meet you in the waters of your adversity.

Rejoice! Help is on the way.

-Starr Ayers

Mirror Image

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“As waters reflect the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.”
Proverbs 27:19, NIV

Over a year ago, I enrolled in an online iPhone photography course. Besides receiving instruction from experienced iPhone photographers on how to capture and edit remarkable photos, students are invited to join a Facebook community of their peers and participate in constructive critiques.

While on vacation last summer, I was struck by the crystal-clear reflection of a yellow house along the canal and captured the image with my iPhone. When I edited my photo, I cropped out the majority of the land portion of the house to emphasize its outstanding reflection. After posting my photo in the online community, I received favorable comments, but I also received some stating that I should’ve included in my picture the source of the reflection—the house itself. One comment especially resonated with me: “The reflection is the hero, but without the source, it’s not as powerful.”

Many houses reflected in the canal that evening, but the element that made this reflection outstanding was the angle of the sun. I snapped the photo during the golden hour—the last hour before sunset—the hour when the sun’s rays bring ordinary objects to life with a golden glow. The water mirrored the house above it, but without its remarkable light source, the reflection would’ve lost its impact.

God created us in his image, but we were born into a fallen world and possessed a sinful nature. If we confess our sin and invite Christ to be our Savior, he forgives our sin. From that moment forward, as we devote time to Bible study and prayer, our lives begin to take on the characteristics of Christ. The more time we invest, the more we grow spiritually, and the more accurate the reflection of Christ in us becomes.

The mirrored image of the yellow house was what caught my attention that evening, but when my eyes moved upward, I saw the actual house. How do others respond when they see the image we reflect? Do their eyes travel upward to the origin of the reflection—the light of Jesus Christ?

We either mirror the characteristics of our Heavenly Father or those of a fallen world. Indeed, the image we reflect may be the hero, but without Christ as the light source, it loses its power.

As Easter approaches, may the reflection of Christ in us inspire others to look heavenward and see our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Happy Easter!

Starr Ayers

This Way or That Way?

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“Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before.”
Joshua 3:4, NIV

Are you constantly on the move yet at the end of the day wonder what you’ve accomplished? Do you spin your wheels only to find, you’re stuck? Like me, there may be days when you question if you’re even moving in the right direction?

In Alice’s pursuit of the White Rabbit in Lewis Carroll’s, Alice in Wonderland, Alice said to the Cheshire Cat:

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat.
“I don’t much care where—” said Alice.
“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat.

At times, I’m directionally challenged, but unlike Alice―I do care where I’m going. It’s frustrating when my GPS takes me miles out of my way, or the directions someone has given me are wrong. Sometimes, we need a good old-fashioned road map, or better yet, someone to follow.

Years ago, I was driving my car down a narrow two-lane road. Fog and rain made it difficult for me to see, but I spotted a tractor-trailer pulling out from the intersection ahead. Typically, I don’t want a truck in front of me, blocking my vision and slowing me down, but that night, I was thankful the truck was there. It was easier for me follow its taillights along the dark and winding road than to navigate the route alone.

In Joshua 3, the Israelites camped along the east bank of the Jordan River at the edge of the Promised Land. They were waiting for God to instruct Joshua on when to move out and claim the territory for themselves. As they faced the raging Jordan River and an area occupied by the enemy, God told Joshua to be strong and courageous. He reminded him that he would go with them and would never leave or forsake them.

The same applies to us. As believers, God calls us to do his will. Although it’s not always easy to discern, he doesn’t intend for us to chart our own course. He’s given us a roadmap, his Word and has sent the Holy Spirit as our guide. We have everything we need to navigate the sometimes perilous roads ahead.

God cares where you’re going. Wait for him. Place his Word before you and thank him for his guidance. He’ll lead you safely to your destination.

“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying,

‘This is the way; walk in it'” (Isaiah 30:21, NIV).

Starr Ayers