Submitted by Pastor David Shadinger, Rock Port and Watson United Methodist Churches

Do you pray when life is smooth sailing, or wait until a storm hits? The truth is, you can pray to God; any time and in any place. Unfortunately, we often wait until we are in a vulnerable spot before we reach out to the Lord.

Gratefully, God listens to our prayers. When we face complex situations, God offers his peace. In Jesus, we glimpse the clearest possible sign of God’s power, holiness and love. Jesus is like the person on the lifeboat who calls out, “We see you. We are coming. We see you.”

This work of seeing and reaching out and rescuing continues today, especially among the followers of Jesus. The Christian community is nothing less than the body of Christ, the physical presence of Jesus in the world today. Jesus has no eyes but our eyes, no hands but our hands, no feet but our feet.

The challenge and opportunity for the church today is to show God’s power and love to people who are overwhelmed and hurting. For example:

• When people are facing danger, we can say, “We’re coming.”

• When individuals or families are dealing with complex situations, we can say, “Let’s work on this together.”

• When people are confused, disoriented or bewildered, we can say, “Let us help you find safety.”

People of faith provide this kind of help because we serve a Lord of power, holiness and love. Our Lord has power over anything that can hurt us in body, mind or spirit. Our Lord gives “strength to His people,” promises the psalmist. Our Lord can “bless His people with peace” (Psalm 29:11). We can all put our trust in the God who rules over the waters, and who gives his people the life-saving gifts of strength, peace and love.