“The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves.” – PSALM 145:18-19
Many years ago when I was a teenager I was on vacation with my family at Daytona Beach. One afternoon a storm blew in quickly while I was still wading in the ocean. As I tried to quickly fight the waves to get out of the water, a big wave knocked me over. I was in shallow enough water that I knew I wasn’t in serious danger, but I was a little disoriented, having not seen the monster wave approaching me. In those brief moments I was struck by how calm it was just beneath the surface. Above the water, the wind was howling, enormous, angry waves and tides pulling me back and forth. Yet, for a moment, I found it almost peaceful just beneath the water’s surface. The angry tide turned to a gentle rocking, the howling wind turned to a soft whisper. I could float in equilibrium, gently massaged by the water all around me. How could there be such a drastic difference between the storm above and water below?

 It can sometimes be hard to imagine that God’s presence is there in times of terrible tragedy and grief. How could God be there amidst the pain and darkness? Yet the Psalmist tells us that God is near and God hears our cries. I think of it as the storm on the ocean that I was caught in. When we are in our world, our senses hear only the howling wind and angry waves. God invites us to immerse ourselves in prayer, moving from our troubled world to the comfort of the Spirit just beneath the surface. In this life we are not equipped to stay in the spiritual world forever, and we must breathe the air of our world. But when we emerge from prayer we can be renewed and comforted knowing that the safety of God’s spirit is right there with us, just beneath the surface.

 PRAYER: Dear Lord, help us to know our strength lies in you. AMEN.

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