My brain is constantly making noise. The internal dialogue is incessant and I thought that was what everyone experienced. That was until I found out that there are people that don’t have the constant brain noise I do. If they are not actively thinking about something their brain is quiet. Isn’t that crazy? I can’t tell you how many times I wish that I could silence the constant noise that my brain makes, because most of the time it isn’t helpful. It hypes up my anxiety and causes me to take my eyes off of Jesus and puts it on the situation, which only serves to increase my anxiety.
What if there was a way to quiet the brain noise?
The story in Mark 4 is probably familiar right? Earlier in the day the disciples and all that gathered around sat under the divine teaching of Jesus. After, Jesus and the disciples got into a boat and the winds started to build. No big deal right? It’s a body of water, a little rocking is normal. Many of the disciples were fisherman and so a little rocking was normal. But then the winds started to pick up. The rocking became more and more intense. The waves began to crash into and over the boat. The situation was getting real and suddenly the brain noise became shouts. And Jesus is sleeping in a corner. As readers we can look at that and say, what’s the big deal? If Jesus isn’t worried why are they? But we have the benefit of reading the account, not living it. If we are being honest, when we are in the midst of a storm, even though we know that Jesus is right there with us, we allow the brain noise to go up several notches till that is all we hear. I’m not going to make it. No one can help me. Where is God?
Where is God? Right there with you, just like he was with the disciples. He gets up and rebukes the wind and says to the sea “Peace! Be Still” and there was a great calm. Everything fell silent. When you and I are in the midst of a raging storm, one that threatens to turn the boat over and drown us, remember that the one who calms the winds and the waves is right there with you. Allow Him to speak PEACE into the noise!
by Kalesha Peters
