This morning I watched one of my favorite reactor's on Youtube talking about life in the USA. He is a Dad with a daughter to protect who lives in a prominent city and he is constantly on alert, carries a weapon and says, "it would be stupid if I didn't". He lives not far from the border with the Mexican cartels and the USA has strong criminal elements who carry automatic and semi-automatic weapons. You have to be prepared to protect yourself and your family. He loves his country but I come from peaceful New Zealand where no one "carries" and our criminals are very rarely armed, our police are good and do a good job. To me it sounds like he lives in constant anxiety and fear, and I realized so many in the world live this way.

Life is complex and it is no wonder so many suffer from P.T.S.D and stress disorders. When a human being is put under pressure and too many trauma’s hit all at once something is going to break – sometimes its the soul. This manifests as "mental illness", rife in today's modern world but it has been around since Bible times. We all have breaking points, different for each of us. God does have the answer for this, you have to recognize and accept that you need help, from God and from others.

In our Old Testament reading, Elijah is suffering from P.T.S.D and Depression. Every life matters, people matter and Elijah knew every human being is a creation of God, yet in obedience to God he has had to kill, not just once but he has waded in blood. Sick to his soul with what he has been forced to do, grieving for its necessity, he runs from those trying to take his life and cries out to God, that he is no better than his ancestors. He thinks he is totally alone – that there are none left who have not committed the awful sin of idolatry and human sacrifice. He is wrong – he is not alone, but he is deeply soul sick and suffering from serious Depression.

God provides a cure, first rest, a healing sleep, angels watch over, tend and feed him, then a holiday – physical exercise, and a break from all the stress, peace and quiet and time in God’s presence. Finally God reminds Elijah, just how mighty and powerful He is and that He is in charge, a strong wind, an earthquake, a fire, all the manifestations used with Moses. Then the still small voice teling him that he was not alone, then giving him a new purpose and someone to stand with Him and work beside him – Elisha.

We are shown today that the best companion to have in the storms of life is God. Let Him remind you He is in control. In the lightening and thunder and huge waves of the storm of the lake of Galilee, in today's Gospel reading, He walks on the waves through the storm, His voice quietly telling Peter as he lifts him from the storm tossed waves, “O man of little faith, why did you doubt me?” He is in control, not us, these things really aren’t our problems most of the time, they are His job to battle and handle, we just have to obediently do what He has asked of us, talk to him, pray and let him carry the burden, his shoulders are broader than ours.