Master, The Tempest Is Raging-Beware, The Number Nine Sea!

Mark 6:51..and He got into the boat with them and the wind ceased and 

                  they were utterly astounded.  ESV

During my years in the Coast Guard, my cutter spent roughly a month at a time sailing around a ten square mile grid (ocean stations) in one of the five geographic locations in the North Atlantic.  Each year we did about six of those assignments that ranged from the Straights of Labrador to Cuba. On one of the northern most station assignments we experienced abnormally severe cold and icing to the degree that “all hands” had to man the decks with hammers and baseball bats to chip away the ice before we got so top heavy that we would literally roll over and sink!  Ultimately we were “relieved early” by another cutter because the ice had damaged two of our life boats and we were still unable to lighten the ships’ weight enough for safety.

We headed south toward warmer weather which, it would turn out, didn’t happen before we encountered some of the worst seas we had ever experienced. Violent seas were generally “rated” by sailors in a series of numbers ranging from one to nine, with nine being the one few, if any, survived.  Anxiousness, yes FEAR, arose among the crew as we were battered about by raging swells, nearly hurricane force winds and, suddenly, at six AM, the sound of the main deck in front of the five-inch gun mount splitting from port to starboard!  We were experiencing a number nine sea!  Abject fear, little hope and not enough lifeboats!  Immediately we were “piped” to general stations, the ship turned around with the stern into the winds, and the heroic damage control team set about welding the forward deck with metal plates, all the while in the midst of the sea’s tumult!  We survived to tell of god’s Grace!

Sometimes we have life experiences, similar to the raging tempest, sea billows tossing dangerously ‘to and fro,’ and sensing that we have no lifeboats.  We have mortgages, children creating college bills, critical illnesses and associated bills, national elections, all causing turmoil and upheaval. We are so overwhelmed by the storms of life that we want to “jettison the cargo, with all hope of being saved - at last abandoned (Acts27:18-20.”)  We fear that our Master may be sleeping while we are being sucked into the abyss.  (“Teacher, do you not know that we are perishing?” Mk 4:38.) When beset by these winds and waves, we are reminded that our Savior himself uttered these words – “Peace, be still!” (Mk 4:39)

We can be the ones to live and tell of having survived the “number nine seas” of our lives if we grasp the life ring of faith offered by our compassionate Lord.  We need to be reminded that we are not “the masters of our fate, the captains of our souls (Invictus)” but rather, the Holy Spirit led mates pulling oars on our course toward “peaceful shores and calling it Heaven” (Wyrtzen)

             

“The winds and the waves shall obey my will, peace, peace, peace be still.

               Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea, or demons or men or whatever it be.

               No water can swallow the ship where lies the Master of oceans and earth and skies.”

               (James Cleveland)

“JaCK and Jill went up the hill to fetch A pail of water……………….”

Genesis 24:13 Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, 

and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. ESV

Water…  The sustainer of life.  It is said the water comprises as much as 50-65% of the human body.  It is also said the common denominator for much of human conflict in the biblical record as well as modern times centers around the abundance or scarcity of water in specific locations around the world.  No…  it is not “oil,” although that substance generates its own significant international angst!

The Bible records a multitude of major events centered around the source of water…wells.  They were the place you went, either early in the morning or later after the sun went down to get your daily water needs. While the customs, at the time, dictated that women were the major well visitors, it was not limited to them alone.  Battles were fought over well ownership, with wells being dug, filled in and dug again, based upon who won or lost. (Gen 26:20-32) Understandably, cities were built around the water supply of wells. Several major Old Testament patriarchs were the beneficiaries of divinely ordained meetings at the well.  Abraham’s servant was sent to a well on a “God blessed” venture to choose a woman (Rebekah,) who offered to draw water for the servant’s camels, as an eventual wife for his son, Isaac. (Gen 23-24.)  Similar story is recorded for Rachel and Jacob (Gen. 29:8f.)  Moses saved the women of Midian at a well from roving shepherds and one of the women, Zipporah, was given to him as a wife by her father, Laban. (Gen 2: 14-22)

 

Christ met a woman at a well, too.  A little bit of a different story, but more dramatically life-changing!  He was sitting by a well and asked a woman from Samaria to draw a drink for him. Little did she know how much he knew about her!  After life-changing dialogue about her somewhat questionable past, Jesus had given her “living water.” (Jn. 4:7-26)

Because of their social context, wells became the local “hang-out.”  A place where refreshment went beyond keeping the body’s water percentage up. The local “meet and greet.”  Our culture has developed a form of that “meet and greet.”  It’s called the local Starbucks!  In the case of my new hometown, it’s appropriately called “The Well.”  Yep, you heard correctly – “The Well.”  It is actually a non-profit, started by two retired physicians that uses all proceeds to build life-sustaining wells in Africa.  How appropriately named!

For those of you who know me, it is not surprising that The Well has become the “Lew Gibbs variety of networking” place to be.  Make no mistake, this isn’t about names recorded or business cards collected.  It is about random relationships built over a “cop-o-joe.”  Mind you, unlike some of those old testament examples, I’m not looking for a wife!  Already have one!  But the Lord has given me the gift of engagement (not sure that gift is so-named in Romans) that has already allowed me to share life experiences to the benefit of several “chance meetings” over coffee. Yeah, I know there are NO chance meetings, NO coincidences!

This is about “having your life read as a living gospel before men.”  It’s about sharing some wisdom, and some practical life experiences as a bridge to sharing Gospel truths. It’s about purposeful interaction.

Where is your hangout – what do you bring – what do people see – where’s your watering hole….??

Jacob’s servant, Moses, Christ, Lew………………   All hangin’ out at The Well!  WooHoo!!