By: Marcy Barthelette

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.John 14:27  

Our southeastern states have certainly seen more than their fair share of water in recent weeks. Hurricane Helene surprised all the forecasters by taking a mean swipe at Florida’s west coast and then making a beeline inland and dropping record amounts of rain in very short periods of time in areas not known for hurricane-force storms. As we all know, the results were devastating. Just two weeks later Milton bore down on Florida, for a while raging as a category 5 storm over the Gulf of Mexico. Fortunately, he weakened some before landfall but damage was still quite substantial, this time taking its aim on the entire Florida peninsula.

We have family who were impacted during both storms and waiting to hear is a very sobering business. We finally did learn that while they have a lot of clean-up in their futures, they’re safe.

Ken and I have had lots of experience with raging waters. Living and working in parks in south central Missouri placed us close to several Ozarks streams that had a high potential for volatility. If you live near them long enough, you will experience flash flooding. We experienced damage to homes, losses of personal property, loss of a pet, and, in one case, loss of human lives. The floods we experienced would be classified as minor by comparison to the recent storms in the southeastern US, but they certainly gave us a great respect for the power of water and the ability to truly empathize with the people in those devastated areas.

Most of the time, clear running streams and calm beaches are just wonderful places to relax and enjoy our beautiful outdoors. I have always been attracted to water, especially clear running streams. As a teen, we lived on the outskirts of our town and I was privileged to have a nice little creek just up the road. I spent many hours wandering its banks. For a while, my leisure time was spent on lakes but once I found my way to Ozarks streams, my love affair with them has only grown. I find peace walking beside a stream and strength in the continuity of the water, meandering to reach its destination. Beaches provide the same sense of peace for me as the waves ebb and flow. But when a weather phenomenon or a human error causes them to rise from their normal boundaries, they become anything but peaceful.

At some time in our lives, maybe multiple times, we will face a wall of “raging water,” an event that seems insurmountable. We’ve been upagainst that wall for a few months now, dealing with several health issues. Our doctor ordered each of us to go through a brain MRI. That happened last week and I have to tell you that I had my share of concerns. First and foremost is the question of what exactly is causing our symptoms and then comes the uncertainty of what the test will be like and I’d heard some very negative descriptions. And, in my case, the fear of the IV needle insertion is paramount. But, for the last few times, I’ve had blood drawn, I’ve placed my fear in God’s hands and He’s gotten me through it. And so, I gave the MRI to Him, as well. I felt totally at peace isolated in that tube with loud and annoying sounds all around me, and when it came time for the needle, one quick stick was all that was needed to inject the contrast dye. It ended sooner than I expected and I left the test area feeling relaxed and comforted.

What made the difference? Jesus was beside me, just like always, but this time I reached out and took His hand and he led me in my mind beside “still waters” to pastures of green. The words of the contemporary musical version of Psalm 23 repeated through my mind the entire time I was in the tube and I rested into His goodness.

You prepare a table when I am surrounded,

Anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows, my cup overflows….

It occurred to me after I was finished that the reason streams of water have been my answer to troubled times is simply that Jesus is there for me. It’s the special place where we come together and, if I’m not near water, I can imagine it and be transported to my favorite stream through His presence. Our enemies may be raging weather or the trials of daily life. It doesn’t matter….He’s always there to prepare a table in the presence of those enemies.