SOMETHING I do, when hard pressed for a topic to write on is to wade into conversations happening in the numerous WhatsApp groups, I have been graciously been put into. There was one which was hosting an interesting international webinar, which I couldn’t attend because of my writer’s workshop later in the day, and I suddenly noticed a flurry of excited activity around the time when the seminar should have started and should have been going on smoothly.
Looking at the conversations I realized that Zoom technology had decided to be a spoil sport and that many who had paid, could not connect. I then saw that dozens in the group had started praying, and started sending messages they were doing so, except one, who sent a message, “I want a refund!” How many of us, I wonder, shout the same, when we find ourselves facing daunting circumstances? My mind goes to a boat, being tossed and turned in the Sea of Galilee, two thousand years ago.
The men on the boat are terror stricken. They had all given up their professions, and decided to follow a Man of miracles and now, as their boat is nearly at the point of being shipwrecked and they might even drown, I wonder how many of them wanted to shout, “We want out! We trusted this Man for a life of calm and peace, but look how our clothes are drenched, and look how our investment on this fishing boat is going to the bottom of the sea! “We want a refund on our investment!” “We want a refund on our lives we gave to you!” Even if they had such thoughts, they did the opposite: They ran to their Master who was sleeping peacefully in the same boat, woke Him up, told Him what was happening, and watched as He pointed His finger at the storm and said, “Peace! Be still!” And it worked. The storm subsided, the winds and waves calmed down, and the boat floated merrily down the sea, as if nothing had happened.
Like I mentioned, what I loved seeing on that same WhatsApp group, was many saying they were praying even as the technical staff tried to address the glitch and yes, oh yes, their prayers worked! I wonder whether God gives us these testing times to see how strong our faith is? A child falls sick, our spouse has an accident, we lose our jobs, someone walks out on us, a business deal falls flat, we face a betrayal, and what do we shout? “Lord, I want a refund!” Or “Lord, we know you are still Lord of the storm, heed our prayers we pray..!”
