Centered and Living in the eye of the storm

Center definition ( from www.webster.com ) a: a point, area, person, or thing that is most important or pivotal in relation to an indicated activity, interest, or condition b: a source from which something originates

The sermon this past Sunday was on focusing on the center and making Jesus our center, not ourselves. The pastor used Rocky 2 and a song by Aerosmith to make the point. It was done in a humorous way which helped the teenage son to pay more attention. :) We do live in a very "me" oriented society. However, when the focus is on us and we are our center....it's off of Jesus and other people's issues/needs. As the saying goes, "the world does not revolve around you"....and it shouldn't. I don't think we intentionally put ourselves there. Circumstances, advertising and society all play a part in pushing us closer to the center of our lives and making it about us.

While he was talking, I was getting an image of a hurricane with the eye of the storm at the very center. Later, I read up a little on hurricanes/cyclones. The eye of the storm is almost always warmer and calm. The storm swirls around the center, but the center is peaceful. That doesn't mean the rest of the storm won't come as the eye passes over.

Life can seem like that cyclone sometimes. Stuff happens that we can't explain or doesn't make sense. Sometimes it's hard to see the good that come out of a bad situation or life storm. BUT if we can keep God the center eye of our storm and we can keep our focus centered on the eye and not the storm, we will be able to survive the storm and rest secure centered in His love.

Revelation 5:5-6 (NIV) Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals." Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, ...

^{Revelation 7:16-17 (NIV)} Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Praying that the eye of the storm is big enough for us to center our attention on and the swirling storms of life will not move our focus off God as our center.