Photo courtesy of www.flickr.com/photos/panduadnyana/12168475944

On Sunday nights my husband and I host a home Bible study. We are using a very effective method of study called “Discovery Bible Study”. It is one of the most simple yet powerful study methods I’ve ever seen. We use 5-15 verses of scripture, read them in two different translations, close our Bibles, mention everything we can remember from the passage, and then look at the scriptures again. A DBS is built around 3 questions: What does this passage teach us about God? Then, about man? Then, what is there in this passage to obey? The last and most important thing we share is our personal application statement that is called the “I Will” statement.

Sunday night, May 18th, we were studying Acts 27:27-44. This story is about Paul and 276 others being on a ship that was caught in a great storm. They had to abandon the ship and get to shore by swimming or grabbing onto a plank or other type of broken piece of the ship. All made it to shore safely. I really wasn’t in much of a frame of mind that night to be in Bible study. I was in a deep storm of my own and would have preferred to have just been alone. I’m sure I didn’t enter into much of the discussion. I was in a place of deep emotional sadness. My sister, whom I love dearly, who is also like a best friend, and at times has mothered me, even though she’s younger than me, is battling cancer. I’d just received word that the present chemo wasn’t working so she’d have to begin a stronger chemo. Then, after three more months, she’d have to have to endure a very serious 10 hour surgery to remove the cancer that’s in two different places. I was overwhelmed with despair and in the pit of anxiousness

I knew what my “I will” statement “should” be, but I was struggling to verbalize it. Just as Paul and the other passengers had to let go, jump out of the ship and do what they could to get to land, I knew I too, had to let go of my despair that night and grab on to Jesus in my storm. So, my statement: “I will grab on to Jesus and hold on in this storm. My sister is doing all she can to weather this storm, which is much harder than mine, so and I must do the same.”

I read a quote recently that said “circumstances test our faith.” My faith has been tested many times before, but this is a new journey and my faith is being tested again. I’ve had many more days of weakness and tears since those moments in May, but I know what to do when those storm clouds start rolling in. I hold onto Jesus. I know He always holds onto me and that He’s holding onto my precious sister.