Do you ever vent to God in prayer? Both the ancient Israelites and the disciples of Jesus seem to have this prayer perfected.
Most grumbling is based on fear. Jesus hears the fear and the grumbling of his disciples as the waves toss their boat around. Imagine Jesus walking on the high sea and the disciples seeing him out there! Is it any wonder they were afraid? Peter even doubts that it could be Jesus and puts him to the test. That’s not Peter’s only fear. He doesn’t think he can withstand the waves and sinks in his doubt.
Do we not trust God when the waves seem to be tossing us? Do we even bother to vent to God of our fears in an effort to get to the bottom of where our fears really originate?
God always will reach to us to help us withstand the waves. Just reaching out to God to “touch the tassel of his cloak” is enough to heal us of all that ails us. So vent away! God hopes to hear your fears and calm the storms of your life, so that you might live with a little less fear and a lot more trust in the Lord.
—Mike Hayes is the Director of Campus Ministry at Canisius College in Buffalo, NY.