Not By Sight

Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
And He brought them out of their distresses.
He caused the storm to be still,
So that the waves of the sea were hushed.
Then they were glad because they were quiet,
So He guided them to their desired harbor.
(Psalm 107:28-30 NASB)

We arrived in Malaysia just under a week ago, and have been busy reconnecting with dear people, getting settled into our apartment, learning how to purchase necessities, assembling furniture, etc. It’s been joyful, albeit tiring. I’m exceedingly grateful to God and to our friends who have taken precious time to care for us, feed us, and share life with us. The older I get, the more I believe the heart of mission is the witness of doing life together in the love and unity of Christ. (Perhaps more on this in a future post.)

One thing I’ve noticed since arrival is a heaviness or quiet desperation that so many carry. I feel it when in the checkout girl at the 7-11, the abang who drives the Grab, the young person who feels like she has no options, the leader carrying leaden responsibilities. It doesn’t help that we all live in desperate, tumultuous times. As Christians, we often hear that we are to “hold on to Jesus” and “trust in the Lord,” but what does that look like?

I’ve been wrestling with the dichotomy presented in Psalm 127:28-30. The Psalmist first reminds the hearer that the people of God “cried out to the Lord,” and the Lord responds by hushing the waves of the sea. Then the Psalmist states that the people were glad because “they” were quiet. Who is “they” referring to? Were the people glad that the waves were quiet? Or were the people glad that they themselves (the people) were quiet? God guides the people to their desired harbor once “they” are quieted. Is the Psalmist emphasizing we are led to our destination after our storm ceases to rage?

Or perhaps the Psalmist is saying that we, the people of God, are led to harbor after having had the experience crying out and experiencing the protection and care of the Lord. This matches the experience of infants who need to cry, and experience a loving response to their distress, in order to develop secure attachment. Many of us relate to God at the level of crying out in trouble, and experiencing (or longing to experience relief). How many of us let Him take us to the next step, where we become glad in the faithfulness of God calming our waves, but have yet to be led to our destination? There’s a tension we experience here, where we can draw faith from our deliverance to also believe in His guidance. Our belief in God’s guidance is manifested in a quietness of our soul – a polar opposite to our cry to Him in distress.

Missional witness can look like modeling this process for those around us to see. Certainly, I feel it every day. January and February were extremely difficult months where I often cried out to God in my distress. Now, being surrounded by the distress of people around me, people I deeply care for, I feel drawn into quiet. My heart is full of thoughts that I cannot express out loud, and my heart is turgid and leaden with care that must be disciplined away from anxiety. The situation is still desperate, even dire, for so many around me. How I long to cry with them and give voice to pain, or to express comfort. Perhaps the Lord will let me. But this morning as I write, God reminds me that He also calls me to quiet. He not only calms the storm around me, He also calms the storm in me. And for those of us who trust in Him, He will guide us to our desired harbor.