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My doc said, "Hey Phil, you look great. How did you lose the weight?"

I explained and we shared some chitchat. Then, while looking at my neck and feeling my lymph nodes, he said, "So what is that?" About that time he punched around at the bottom of my neck in the little soft spot and I flinched as a twinge of pain shot through me. Then he said, "Oh wow, there are three of them!"

This is not what I had expected to hear! I had three small masses that he could see and touch. I could feel a twinge when he poked on each of them. I went from feeling proud and great, to feeling startled and worried, in a matter of minutes. To be honest, I don't remember anything else about the results of that physical except for the end.

My doc said, "These feel perfectly round, so I'm hopeful they are simply cysts."

Then I asked the dumb question, "So if they are not cysts, what else could they be?"

Not a good question and certainly not one he could answer. The sky was the limit on "what else could they be?" We both knew what I was really asking. I was a public speaker. The cysts were near my vocal chords and at the base of my thyroid. For anyone, this would be a scare, but for someone who spoke as his primary livelihood, well, let's just say everything was up for grabs in my heart!

The doc's answer was evasive, but better than if he had given me the long list of possibilities for "what else could they be?" "Let's not speculate at this point. I am going to schedule you for an ultrasound and also a thyroid nuclear x-ray. These cysts are small and feel perfectly round, so I'm not all that worried about them; I think they might even go away on their own.

While the doc's words were good, this is what I heard, "Oh wow ... three of them ... ultrasound ... nuclear ... worried ... probably ... might?"

I trusted my friend. I believed that he was probably right, but I couldn't help but hear the echo of these fearful words in my heart as I tossed and turned several nights before I took the tests and received the results.

There have been many other storms in my life since that doctor's visit, and nearly all of them have turned out well when I've finished riding out the storm and come to the calm waters on the other side of the storm.

All of us who find ourselves as mortal bags of bones, blood, and skin have to be riders on the storm at different moments in our lives. The real issue in those moments is what we allow our focus to become during the storm. What sounds do we hear and what sights capture our gaze? What do we do when fear overwhelms us and we've grown tired of fighting the storm? How do we know if Jesus is with us when we can't see him and it appears he is far from us?

The early followers of Jesus faced storms like we do — theirs may have even been worse than most of us have faced. For them, an event in the life of Jesus was told and re-told to help them find comfort and keep faith in their storms.

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

"What else could they be?"

Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear.

But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."

"Come," he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"

And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God?" (Matthew 14:22-33 TNIV).

You Are My Hiding Place: 50 Praise & Worship Songs by The Maranatha Singers You'll be lifting your hands and your voice while enjoying this collection of praise & worship classics performed by the Maranatha Singers---available only from CBD.

Phil Ware is minister of the Word at Southern Hills Church of Christ in Abilene, Texas. For the past 10+ years, he has also been co-editor of HEARTLIGHT Magazine. For more details, click here.

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