TROUBLING WINDS

In the Bible, there is a popular account of when one of Jesus' disciples, Peter, asks Jesus to confirm that it is him walking on water. He says to Jesus, "Lord, if it is you, then tell me to come to you on the water." Jesus complies. For the moment, Peter is walking on water until he takes his eyes off Jesus and instead notices the wind. It must have been some wind because Peter shifted his focus from the source of encouragement, power, reliability, and confidence to the winds swirling around him. Immediately he became afraid, panicked, and began to sink.

What I find so interesting is how often this same scenario happens to all of us, especially when the winds of trouble appear in our lives. We are so quick to lose sight of what matters most, our goals and dreams, our game plan, our routine and habits, and even our focus when troubling winds appear in our lives. Today, our country and the global community are facing troubling winds. These troubling winds affect us to one extent or another. This is also not to discount any troubling personal winds (or even hurricanes) that you may be facing additionally. Can I encourage you now more than ever to stay resilient, focused, and determined and not allow yourself to get caught up in the troubling winds to the extent that you become fearful, begin to panic, and sink? It's OK to acknowledge that troubling winds abound, but don't get so consumed by them that they paralyze your progress. If those winds force you to make adjustments, then make them accordingly but avoid giving them more attention than what's needed. Instead, stay connected. Stay the course. Stay positive!