“But He said to them, ‘It is I; don’t be afraid.’ Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.” John 6: 20-21

There is a lot of disruption in the world today.  We are all being impacted by the global supply chain crisis.  Whether it’s the company you work for, or one you depend on for your favorite things, you can feel like you’re being tossed about in a maelstrom.  Where I work, all I can hope for is solid leadership from our executive team and hope that our strategic decisions get us through the other side.  

So, it is easy for me to put myself in the sandals of the disciples.  They’re literally being tossed about the sea in a small boat, miles away from shore, and with Jesus nowhere to be seen.  I can imagine they’re not only afraid because of the storm, but they feeling despair at being without their fearless captain, Jesus.

Jesus must have been observing the disciples.  He saw the storm blow in, and he went to them.  What I love about this story is not what Jesus does, but how he does it.  Jesus doesn’t pull up beside the disciples in a much bigger boat.  Nor does he immediately calm the storm or pull the boat to safety.  He walks through the storm to the disciples, and he gets in their boat.  But not right away, which is another key part of this story. 

Verses 20 and 21 tell us that Jesus told them not to be afraid, and “Then they were willing to take him into the boat.” I love the idea that Jesus shows up in the middle of a storm, walking on water, telling them to not be afraid, and yet there was apparently still a little debate about what to do.  It’s a great reminder that while Jesus is watching us, is with us, and will find us in any storm, we still must invite him into our boat.

When I think back to what’s going on in my professional world, I’m reminded that all our decisions are based on imperfect information, and we’re making our best guesses as to what to do.  But when we invite Jesus into our boat, we’re not subject to guesswork or assumptions.  When we invite Jesus into our boat, he brings with him direction and certainty that can help us navigate the storms and arrive safely on the other side.

There’s a lot of disruption in our lives right now. We’re all facing many of those proverbial storms.  Reflect not only about how you can invite Jesus into your boat, but what it means for you to have Jesus in your boat everywhere you go.

If you’d like to read or re-read the overview/summary of this week’s passage, you can find it here.