Have you ever been in a situation where your heart was so stirred up, so unsettled, so confused that you didn’t know what you would do or where you would turn? Jesus’ disciples feel this way. In a time of doubt and uncertainty, Jesus speaks words of comfort to them: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” The word for “troubled” means “stir up, unsettle, throw into confusion.” To put it another way, Do not let your hearts be stirred up, unsettled, thrown into confusion. Trust in God. Trust also in me.
My senior neighbor went to her bank to withdraw money to go grocery shopping. She went into shock when the bank teller told her that she had no money in her account. The bank manager reported that her social security was not deposited in April. Worse she discovered that a vendor was making automatic withdrawals from her account each month as far back as January 2022.
Maggie and her sister were able to do a little grocery shopping with her food stamps but she could not pay her monthly mortgage. She drove with her sister to the social security office and they discovered that the nursing home was issued her April check. I contacted the nursing home finance department and they denied that the facility put in a claim for her money. Once again at social security, she filed a claim for back payment and told it would take 30 days to refund her money. Now the mystery, who was the vendor taking automatic withdrawals.
The bank manager shared the name and a phone number of the unknown vendor. With Maggie at my side, I called and the vendor and learned that this company sells warranty insurance to replace your appliance like a refrigerator or washer when it breaks down. The customer service agent reported that she has had this service since 2019 and that it was renewed in 2022. With Maggie at my side, she denied that she requested this service. The agent handed me off to her supervisor and once again I shared that this senior never request their service and expect a refund. I was surprised and relieved to hear when the supervisor apologized for any misunderstanding and reassured my neighbor that the service would be cancelled and she would receive a full refund.
In times of quiet desperation, Jesus says to us what he says to his disciples: I will be the dam that holds you when the levee breaks, the tunnel that brings you through to the other side when you’re stirred up, unsettled, thrown into confusion. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God. Trust also in me.
Lord I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who are going through storms in their life. When the rains come, when the waters rise, our temptation is to look for answers to our “where” and “how” questions. In those moments—in all moments—there is one who stands before us, we need to trust in God.
