When It Is Difficult To See God In Your Crisis

Imagine yourself on the sea, running into a fog so thick, even with your hand in front of you, it is not in view.  How can you guide yourself across the ocean and make it to your final destination? 

Fear runs into your veins as you navigate the waters.  Questions go through your mind. What could be in front of me that I cannot visually see?  Do I turn left, right, or keep straight? Do I take in the sails to slow down or redirect and turn around? Do I drop the anchor to stay still and wait for the fog to pass?

That is often how parents feel when they are raising a teen or young adult in crisis.  Constant and unexpected situations arise that are out of their control.  They are blindsided.  They are caught off guard. 

A crisis can feel like a fog that keeps us from seeing the other side and even more difficult to make decisions that will help our family.  We are left stressed, frustrated, fearful, and sometimes in despair.  Even the waters can stir up like a storm, throwing us from side to side or have us turning in circles like a whirlpool.

What do we do?

Drop the anchor!  Be still. Wait. No matter how things look, God is still in control.  Remember, He created the waters and even the fog. 

 “When evening had come, he said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side.’ And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, ‘Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?’ And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’” (ESV) Mark 4:35-41

The disciples asked Jesus, “Do you not care that we are perishing?”  Many times as we pray and we see no answers, we too, ask that same question, “Jesus, do you not care that we are drowning in the midst of our child’s crisis?” The disciples were in shock over Jesus’ three words, “Peace, Be still!” that changed everything. These same words were also a command that we need to take notice of. When situations arise around us by our children in crisis, we are caught up into the storm of fear, confusion, and distraction.  We feel unsure of what to do and worried that any future decisions we make to take control of the situation, could actually make it worse.  

It is in those moments of crisis, we need to take command of the storm and rebuke it. We need to wait. Allow God to speak to us so that we know what our next steps are, where to go, who to call, and when to move forward. Yes, we can be afraid and unsure. This is why we need to call out to Jesus for peace and to wait for His response.  

The good news is that we are never alone.  We are not alone in the thickness of a foggy calamity or the raging waters of crisis around us.  The Lord is with us at all times, even when we can’t see Him right in front of us. We can be still and wait to hear His voice and His leading.  It is only through Jesus can the fog be lifted and the storms calmed.  

So today, if there is a fog or storm invading your family, stop, pray, and seek His Word for direction. He will show you what direction to go.

Photo by Eduardo Goody on Unsplash