Leaving the crowd behind, they took Him along, just as He was, in the boat. Mark 4:36 NIV

Salvation… Eternal security… Admitting to God that we are a sinner, believing in the Gospel of Jesus Christ: that He is the Son of God, that He was crucified on a cross for our sins, that He was buried and on the third day He arose… Confessing Him as LORD… Walking out of darkness into His glorious light… Trading in our old life for something brand new. That sounds like great news. And if something sounds great, then it shouldn’t be a problem, right? Well… when we are walking toward one thing, it means we are walking away from something else and that’s not always easy. Even when we know in our heart that it’s for our good.

When I got saved and received Jesus into my heart as LORD and Savior, I also had to let go of some things. I walked away from a relationship I had been in for a year and a half. I let go of drugs and alcohol, trusting God to break those chains of addiction. I was trading in what had been comfortable and familiar to me for years, for something that was strange and unfamiliar. And that is hard. Change is scary and difficult. I mean, let’s be honest, the Christian walk is often times the very opposite of smooth sailing. I remember a conversation I had with my sister not long after I was saved. She has been a Christian for many more years than me. I was crying and I asked her, “What if I never meet anyone else? What if I never get to have another relationship?” What she told me was not what I wanted to hear. She said, “Then God will be enough.” As I listened to her response, I immediately thought, “You don’t understand, He will not be enough. I will never be happy if I don’t meet somebody.” I know… that sounds terrible. It doesn’t sound like a very Christian thing to think. But I’m being honest with y’all. Maybe you have thought that too. Well, now you know you’re not alone.

That has been almost 7 years ago. By the grace of God, I am still sober. And by His grace, I am still single. Even though there have been lots of times, more than I care to admit, when that particular grace, hasn’t felt gracious at all. I haven’t even went on a single date in all this time. I still pray for a godly relationship. I ask God to send the right man, if it’s His will. He still hasn’t done it so I just keep praying. But this morning, during my prayer and devotional time, I was talking to God and this revelation just hit me out of nowhere. I just stopped talking mid-sentence. I said, “God, I just now realized I am totally fine if you don’t send me a relationship. I’m content in my singleness. And you know why? Because I just realized that You are enough.” I’ve been growing in Christ over these, almost, 7 years. I pray and read my Bible everyday. I am faithful in church. I know God. I know who He is and how much He loves me. But today, He has given me a peace… a rest… that I have not had about this, until now.

After my prayer time, I continued with my Bible reading in Mark. When I got to verse 36, it was as if God took the words, “Just as He was” and made them the only words on the page. When He does that, I just have to stop and let the words really sink in. I meditate on it, let my heart and mind marinate in it until He shows me what I need to see and speaks what I need to hear. In those moments I am captivated by my God, just quietly anticipating what He has for me. I know it’s gonna be good.

In this story, Jesus has been teaching to the crowds all day. Finally He tells the disciples, “Let’s go to the other side.” So they took Him, just as He was. So how was He? Tired? Frustrated? Hungry? Maybe a little bit of all that. They get out into the water and here comes the storm. Jesus is sleeping and the disciples begin to panic. They wake Jesus up, questioning whether He even cares about them. He gets up and speaks to the wind and the waves and they quiet. They are still. The storm is over. Because “just as He was” was more than enough. I’ve read that story so many times and I don’t know why I never saw it before. I never paid attention to those words. I guess I wasn’t ready and God knew that. Sometimes in my life God is gentle. Sometimes He is stern. Sometimes He is very quiet and sometimes He speaks so loudly, the world should be able to hear Him. Today God helped me to see that regardless of how He reveals Himself in my life, He is enough, just as He is.

Maybe this doesn’t sound like much to you. But in my mind, where the wind and waves have been blowing and crashing, it’s as if God has said, “Peace, be still.” And just like that, my storm is over.