storms

Mondays see me along at the school for the lunchtime SU group.

I never know quite what to expect. How many there'll be. What mood they'll be in. It's all so unpredictable.

And so are the answers they give.

We were reading the story of Jesus asleep in the boat while a storm had blown up on the sea. His fishermen friends were pretty much scared out their wits, so fierce were the wind and the waves.

They shook him awake. At which he stood up and rebuked both the wind and the waves. And everything quietened down. Amazing.

But why did he do such a thing?

Out came the usual stuff. To show his friends that they could always trust him, no matter what: since he is so much greater than the storms they'd have to face in life. That sort of thing.

And then one of the girls piped up - "I think he was maybe annoyed at being woken from sleep. Like he was saying to the wind and the waves, 'Shut up! I'm trying to sleep'..."

Not exactly what the commentaries teach! But I understand the feeling.

There are times when the wind and the waves of incessant demands prevent any semblance of rest. Times when I want to stand up and effectively say, please give me a break!

Of course, I'd probably end up capsizing the boat of my life if I tried to stand up and do that! But I got what the girl was on about.

It's a bit like that at the moment here. The minister out at Kirkliston's left. And the locum's yet to start. So for this week at least I'm filling in out there. As well as here.

First thing this morning I got a call. An ominous start to the week - the undertaker calling me on my mobile at 9am on a Monday. A man from out at Kirkliston had died. Arrangements required to be made.

So already the end of the week's getting full with funerals Thursday and Friday. And visits, of course, to be made meanwhile. Along with everything else.

There's a lot on this week. A lot to be done with the event that we're holding on Saturday 7th of June getting near. A meeting at night and work to be done through the day in creating a DVD. But bit by bit we're getting there and the whole thing should be fun all right!

I was out at the home in Kirkliston at night as well, once the meeting here was done. Calling by on the lady whose husband had died and spending some time with both her and her son who was also there at the time.

They didn't seem all that fussed that it wasn't the minister who's been there these past twelve years.

They were simply glad, I think, that someone was there who'd bring to them a sense of the presence of Christ at this time of their sorrow and loss.

I always feel the privilege of that.

And it sometimes feels, as well, at times like that, that I'm called by God to stand there like the Lord himself and still the storms of grief which toss the fragile boat of their emotions in these days of grief.

And when their hearts are wonderfully calmed, as once again they were tonight out there, it's humbling to have witnessed yet another little miracle of grace.

But I could still use some sleep!