Sit Back! Relax! Take a Breath! God's got it!

Two of my boys

"Our boat may be tossed by the waves while He continues to sleep, but He will awake before it sinks." ~ Alexander MacLaren

            Several of my dearest friends are currently in crises facing ferocious life storms - job losses, rebellious children, cancer, false accusations. In the gospel of Mark, a fierce gale sent waves crashing over the boat carrying Jesus and His disciples across the sea, yet Jesus slept on a cushion in the stern. His companions woke Him and cried, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" And Jesus got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Hush, be still." And the wind died down, and it became calm - perfectly calm.

Are you caught in the whirlwind and waves of a stormy life? Sit back, relax, take a breath, and call to Jesus - the One who even the wind and the sea obey.

Excerpt from soon to be released Hoot Owl Hollow:

“Miss Nonie, may I tell you somethin’?” Andi said. “I don’t know what I’ve gotten myself into. I thought I was doin’ the right thing comin’ back to the mountains and workin’ in Bottle Knob, but now I’m not so sure. I don’t think I’ll ever live up to Dr. Park’s expectations. I made a mistake goin’ to Atlanta, and now I’m afraid I’ve messed up again. I wish I had your strength. You live way back here all alone and run a whole farm by yourself. And you don’t seem to be afraid of anything. What’s your secret?”

Nonie laughed and said, “Well, first uv all, it ain’t my strength, child; it’s the Lord’s strength in me. And second uv all, ‘tis the set of the sails, and not the gales, that tell us the way to go’.”

“That’s beautiful. Did you make that up?”

Nonie grinned. “Naw. Ella Wheeler Wilcox, an American author and poet, wrote them purdy words. Life comes in seasons, Andi, and some seasons are awful hard. Ain’t nothing’ you kin do ‘bout that, but yer attitude in the midst of the pain is yer choice. The secret is to stay saddled up close to Jesus ever’day. Talk to Him and listen to what He’s got to say by stayin’ under His word and goin’ to His church. Then, even when ya got troubles; them troubles ain’t got you. Have ya ever heared of a feller named Jehoshaphat?”

Andi shook her head and said, “No, ma’am.”

“Well, ya see, way back yonder, long time ago, thar wuz this here king of Judah named Jehoshaphat. One day he got some turrible news - not one, not two, but three fearsome armies wuz a comin’ against him. Well, that King Jehoshaphat, he commenced to shakin’ in his boots and wuz scareder than a long-tailed cat in a rocking chair factory, so he turned his attention to seek the Lord. Oh, how that king prayed, and he called all the menfolk, women, and young’uns throughout the whole land to pray, too. He howled like a coyot’ bayin’ at the moon. ‘O God, ain’t You the God of heaven? Ain’t You the One that done drove out our enemies before? O God, won’t You help us agin? Fer we’re plumb powerless against this swarm of varmints a comin’ to git us, and we don’t know what to do. But Lord, we’re a keepin’ our eyes on You.’ And ya know what the Lord did?”

 Wide-eyed, Andi said, “What?”

“Well, in those days, God talked to His kids through prophets. So the Lord told one of them prophets named Jahaziel, ‘You go tell ol’ Jehoshaphat not to be a fearin’, ‘cause the battle ain’t his; it’s Mine. Tell him to go on out thar tomorrow and jest watch Me whup them rebel rousers.”

“What happened?” Andi said.

“Well, the very next day, Jehoshaphat wuz a trustin’ the Lord somethin’ fierce, so he sent the music folks out in front of his fightin’ men. And whilst that choir wuz a singin’ praises to God, the Lord stirred thangs up between them three legions, and they commenced to a fightin’ each other. After the dust settled, not one of them rascals wuz left a standin’. So Jehoshaphat jest marched his folks right onto the battleground as purdy as you please and gathered up all the spoils. Andi, God ain’t changed. He’ll fight yer battles, too, when you trust Him and let Him do it.”

“Hmmm,” Andi said, “I never thought about it that way.”

Nonie Baskin of Hoot Owl Hollow

Copyright © 2014 by Jill Watson Glassco