Sometimes we just need a break, whether it is from work, friends, family social activities or even the church.

I have observed that often times we become so comfortable in our business and in the routines of day-to-day life that we become unaware that we are actually wearing ourselves down (or even out). We get use to the pace we have set.

For some, it is keeping track of the kids and their schedules, for others it is just the hectic rush of work and deadlines and meeting expectations. For even more it is the combination of both. Some people believe that retirement brings with it a slower pace of life.

However, I have seen many people who have worked their entire lives and kept this hurried pace for so long that even when they retire they don’t know how to sit still. They just keep going because that is what they are use to. Likewise, I have seen people who did not make it to retirement because their bodies found a way to slow them down and say “enough.”

It’s no wonder that when the storms of life roll in we are often unprepared to handle them. It’s “one more thing on the plate” and then the plate collapses from the weight. We cannot be prepared for all of the storms of life — and oftentimes we do not know when they will come passing through — but we can learn to pick and choose our battles and to take time to “rest up” so we are physically, emotionally and spiritually prepared to face them.

We can learn a little from Christ and his approach to life. Matthew 8:23-27 tells us the following about our Lord.

Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

Note that while others were panicking Jesus was resting. He knew when to take action and when to take time for himself. When he was “called into action” he was able to step up, look at the storms and “rebuke” them. He calmed them. He faced them and settled them.

Maybe sometimes if we step back, take a little time for ourselves and get away from life just long enough to rest, breathe, relax and settle ourselves, when the storms come rolling in and the water starts to come over the sides of our lives, we too can stand up, rebuke the winds and waves and find the calm in the storm.

Barry Vassar is pastor at Fitzgerald Memorial Baptist Church in Cumberland. His email address is fitzgeraldmemorial@gmail.com.