Winter winds

Ya sas,

Ya sas is the informal hello in Greek...it donned on me that I have not used the language with you guys! So I will try to introduced easy useful phrases here and there.

Our weather has officially changed. Summer is picturesque ...not a cloud in the sky for months at a time. Not even a rain cloud or a drop of rain except during the winter / rainy season.....which is now upon us. So for us... its time to buckle down the storm shutters, resupply the heating oil in the tanks, begin lighteing a fire for the nights the wind will not blow it back down the chimney and into the house...staining the once white walls with soot, and start saving $$ for the very high eletricity bills.

But winter in Crete also reminds me of the story in Acts of Paul while he was caught in a terrible storm....

Since considerable time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous because the fast was already over, Paul advised them “Men, I can see the voyage is going to end in disaster and great loss not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” But the centurion was more convinced by the captain and the ship’s owner than by what Paul said. Because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided to put out to sea from there. They hoped that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete facing southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.

When a gentle south wind sprang up, they thought they could carry out their purpose, so they weighed anchor and sailed close along the coast of Crete. Not long after this, a hurricane-force wind called the northeaster blew down from the island. When the ship was caught in it and could not head into the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. As we ran under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were able with difficulty to get the ship’s boat under control. Fearing they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor, thus letting themselves be driven along. The next day, because we were violently battered by the storm, they began throwing the cargo overboard, and on the third day they threw the ship’s gear overboard with their own hands.

When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and a violent storm continued to batter us, we finally abandoned all hope of being saved. Since many of them had no desire to eat, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not put out to sea from Crete, thus avoiding this damage and loss. And now I advise you to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only the ship will be lost. For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve came to me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul! You must stand before Caesar, and God has graciously granted you the safety of all who are sailing with you. Therefore keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will be just as I have been told. But we must run aground on some island.”

The story follows with a shipwreck and Paul landing on the shores of Malta. I can not imagine what it must have been like on a ship... in a storm... here on the surrounding waters of Crete. The Anek ferry lines, our ferry service from Athens to Chania, are constantly cancelling ferries during the winter season for the high seas and rough winds. So I could see why Paul would want to cancel their ships voyage and stay on dry land until the winter had passed.

Yet Paul had "an anchor" for his storm. Paul had the knowledge and protection of Christ. Not just this storm, but any storm that came his way....was beyond the control of his God. Whatever the storms of life may bring us....our faith in the Father keeps us anchored. Anchored in hope, life, love, and light. Faith and love in Christ helps keep us grounded in any storm.

Without Him the storms of my life would surely sink me. Life's constant and persistent winds blowing in a nor easterly fashion… think life is easy….then wham off to Greece. Think your marriage is solid…then wham personality conflicts. Think your ministry is flourishing…then wham things seem to fall apart. It’s Gods way of “toughing” you up. It’s the way He causes you to grow your faith in Him. He allows these nor easterly winds to blow so that you anchor down in Him. So that when you make it through the storms of life…you give Him all the glory.

I am so humbled to have an anchor like my Savior. One to save me in my "storms of life". One to keep me anchored during the roughest of winds and highest of seas.

Also...I think I am going to learn from Paul's adventure and stay off the high seas during winter months. And on land, the winter winds remind me of Winnie-the-Pooh on a blustery day. Hang on piglet...or you will get blown away!

Blessings to those anchored down on a blustery day,

Kristie