Dinner time? Or is it?

How was your day? Conversation at the family dinner table rarely seems to happen nowadays. I wonder how Jesus felt his day had gone after feeding 5000 plus all the rest? Did they use the 12 spare baskets full of left overs for dinner? Rather than stay together, Jesus decided to send his disciples off onto the lake, to cross it - at night! He stayed behind. What was going on? Imagine those disciples thinking "We had gone for a break ourselves together with Jesus; it turned into the busiest day out! Jesus taught, probably did a few miracles (a few? or a lot! - we are not told.) And off he goes up the mountain in the opposite direction to us, the disciples."

Worn out already, they row on. The wind whips up the waves. A small lake? Well, Galilee can see some storms even so. No dinner time sat relaxed around a camp fire, let alone in the home around a table.

How often do we feel worn out, and still have no chance to relax? Rowing on, and on.... How long before we get 'there'? It's taken ages to get over three miles in this cross wind.

Sometimes studies feel like that; never ending. After a busy day at work, we come home to dinner and relax with the TV perhaps... and realise, 'No, I have that book review to write' or "That dissertation chapter needs attention before I send a draft through to my supervisor. On with the job." Then, though a family row blows up. Back you go into the melee and hope to bring some calm.

What a relief when they saw Jesus coming. They didn't recognise help coming at first and were terrified at the idea of a ghost chasing their boat (Mark 6:49). Do we recognise help coming into our storms? After all, no one expects anyone to walk on water for three steps let alone three miles. Was it the voice they recognised? Not yet, because it appeared to them that he was overtaking them

while walking and passing on. Crazy. THEN he spoke: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid" (Mark 6:50ff; John 6:20). Mark, Luke and John miss out the bit about Peter walking on the water that Matthew includes (Mt. 14:28-30). Luke (8:22) and Matthew (8:23-27) have other accounts of a storm on the lake with Jesus already in the boat but asleep. Faith eluded the disciples in all the accounts. Peter's was the bravest but he lost it too as he sensed the waves and wind and began to sink. All of us can feel a bit like that; we lose faith in the midst of the difficulties; we lose even a sense of calling that motivated the study for ministry in the first place. It is temporary. Jesus does walk towards us. We can call on him to rescue us. He gets into our boat and calms the storm. He even can even get us to shore immediately (John 6:21). The other accounts do not stress that 'immediately' or the destination. However, there is ministry at the end of the journey. It is not purposeless to cross the lake after a busy day, face the storm and come through at the other end safe and sound, and busy in ministry again. Our faith is strapped now to the mast of the boat we are in; we are committed to seeing it through.

Study on. Find help. Don't give up. The rescuer provides the calm.