Eye Contact

By KRISTAN DOOLEY

I’ve learned this the hard way, but when I go to work on the brokenness in my life or in the lives of others, even with pure intentions, it is still me doing the work. My strength grows weary as I try to push forward fixing what is not mine to fix. As a pastor, there were seasons of my life I held bandages over people’s brokenness in hopes they would one day find enough motivation to reach their hand up and grab it themselves. I fought way harder for their healing than they ever even considered fighting. It left me burned out and beat down.

Keeping my eyes locked on Jesus enables me to stay grounded and keeps me centered on the fact that He does the rescuing; I need to stay in the proper place of receiving.

In Mark 4, the disciples are out on the water trying to get to the other side of the lake when a storm rolls in. The fierce winds threaten to capsize their fishing boat. With their eyes frantically on the storm, they went to work, scooping out the oncoming water, pulling in the fishing nets, grabbing the spinning wheel. In their panic, they did whatever they could do to survive. In their fear, the chaos around them would surely be their defeat.

Mark 4:39 says, “He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.”

Turning to them, with the eerie silence of stillness all around them, he shook his head and asked, “Why are you so afraid? Why did you forget?”