Hello friends,
Welcome to the 16th episode of Christian Meditation with me,
Anita Mathias.
Let's begin to detach from our busy lives and enter God's space,
God's timeless time.
Our breath,
Our heartbeat,
They are the signs that we are alive and we are most deeply fully alive when we slow down and breathe deeply and fully.
Deep relaxed breathing is a way for us to slow our heartbeat,
Reduce the free-floating cortisol and adrenaline in our brains and bodies and to increase the happier hormones,
Serotonin and dopamine.
God sometimes speaks to us through our bodies.
Obesity,
Stiffness,
Pain are signs that we might need to change our diets or do some running or walking or yoga or maybe see a doctor to address the red light of pain.
God also speaks to us through other red lights,
An agitated anxious mind,
Turbulent emotions,
A heart that feels dry,
Dead and distant from God,
Are signs that we need help from God or from scripture or from a professional or a church friend or help from deeper reading and self-education around our symptoms.
Meditation can put us into a place in which we can hear God.
It relaxes our bodies and stills our minds,
Spirits and emotions so we can hear God better and experience the relief of coming into the presence of God who has searched us and known us,
Who has discerned our thoughts from afar and who,
Before a word is even on our tongues,
Knows it completely and who still loves us with the affection we feel for our toddlers who are incontinent,
Who have a very limited vocabulary and terrible pronunciation and grammar.
Thank you for loving us anyway God.
Come Holy Spirit.
So let's exhale fully to the count of five and inhale deeply to the count of five.
Again,
Exhale fully,
Inhale deeply.
Let's continue breathing as we visualize the ancient beautiful words of Psalm 23.
The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil.
For you are with me,
Lord.
Your rod and your staff,
They comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil.
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Grab Christ's hand when you are sinking.
Let's visualize the scene from the Gospel of Matthew chapter 14.
The disciples' boat was a considerable distance from land,
Buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
It was dark.
But shortly before dawn,
Jesus went out to them,
Walking on the lake.
When the disciples saw him walking on the lake,
They were terrified.
It's a ghost!
They cried and they cried out in fear.
But Jesus immediately said to them,
Take courage,
It is I.
Don't be afraid.
Lord,
If it is you,
Peter replied,
Tell me to come to you on the water.
Come,
Jesus said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat,
Onto the lake,
Walked on the water and came towards Jesus.
But when he noticed the wind,
He was afraid and beginning to sink,
Cried out,
Lord,
Save me.
Immediately,
Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.
You of little faith,
He said.
Why did you doubt?
And when they both climbed into the boat,
The wind died down.
Those who were in the boat worshipped him,
Saying,
Truly,
You are the son of God.
Sometimes the little boat of your life is tossed in the darkness in a storm-swept lake,
Far from shore.
It's buffeted by waves with the wind against it.
And a dark figure looms,
Walking on water.
And you cannot see his face and you do not know his name.
And you are terrified.
And in the encircling gloom,
Christ always speaks the same magnificent words.
Take courage.
It is I.
Don't be afraid.
He comes to us in the darkness.
A future which looks bleak,
Unsolvable relational difficulties or financial difficulties,
Or when intellect,
Energy and organization feel puny,
Matched with our dreams and our calling.
But it is Christ.
Do not be afraid.
And Peter,
The risk-taker,
From an overabundance of love and impulsivity,
Says,
Lord,
If it is you,
Tell me to come to you on the water.
And Jesus speaks another of his great words.
Come.
Jesus,
The merciful,
Did not ask Peter to do something that transcended the humanly possible and Peter's own faith.
But since Peter wanted to get to Jesus as quickly as possible and to do whatever Jesus did,
Jesus gives him permission to walk on water.
We sometimes yearn to do things for which we know we don't really have the money or the time,
The abundant gifting or even the character.
Never begin these things before you've prayed,
Lord,
Tell me to do it.
And if he says,
Come,
Begin tackling the impossibility immediately.
And Peter walks on water until he notices the almost visible wind howling around him,
Is afraid and begins to sink.
Fear paralyzes,
Sinks and can destroy us.
And then Peter prays a powerful prayer.
Lord,
Save me.
And immediately,
Jesus reaches out his hand and catches him,
Scolding,
Oligopistos,
You of little faith.
Why did you doubt?
And the wind dies down and Peter learns to keep his eyes on Jesus and his power when he attempts the impossible and to cry out for Jesus's help when he begins to sink.
Help us,
Jesus,
You who control the wind and waves and all things when we are sinking in the darkness and all seems impossible.
Tell the wind to be quiet.
Take my hand,
Precious Lord.
Lead me on.
Let me stand.
Amen.
