Ever felt like you were in a storm, and God was asleep? Then you might relate to how these disciples felt this night at sea. Take this guided journey through Mark 4, a narrative oil painting of Jesus asleep on the boat in a storm, and the disciples were afraid. This artist interpretation was written, narrated, and painted by Daniel Folta. Each person in this painting represents a different reaction or response that we often exhibit during the storms in our own lives. These ordinary people of different backgrounds had given up their jobs to live as followers of Jesus. They were committed, and they were excited to be on this journey with this wise teacher and healer. As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. Mark 4:35-38 NLT Nothing is going the way they thought it would. You can imagine them thinking, "It wasn't supposed to turn out like this." Meanwhile Jesus is fast asleep, completely at peace... Who are you in this painting? • Are you caught up in the storms of your life? • Are you upset by the things you can't control? • Are you trying to do it on your own? • Are you trying to escape from it all? • Are you anxious about the future? • Are you trying to help others, yet can't help yourself? • Are you just praying for your problems to go away? • Do you feel like God doesn't care? The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Silence! Be still!" Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?" Mark 4:39-40 NLT It's easy to lose sight of the bigger picture when we're in a storm. We think God is asleep, and then we blame him for not being there for us and distance ourselves from God, when God was always there, and still is. Jesus doesn't want to give us cheap peace dependent on circumstances - he wants to give us true peace that weathers ANY storm. The child is a symbolic invitation that you can be at peace in the storms of your life. A child might not know why the storm persists. Or why God is "asleep." A child might not know the way. Or not know how to fix the situation. But the child knows their dad. And their dad loves them. And that's enough for the child to be at peace. So... does God really care? The disciples didn't realize just how much Jesus cared. But they were going to find out when he died on the cross.