There are three stages in life. Beginning, Middle, and End. We enjoy the beginnings, because it’s fun! Everything is new, maybe the beginning of something you have prayed for is finally happening, there is a lot of momentum in the beginning. Then with the ending, there’s joy in complication, you finished and it is now over. There’s a sense of peace with the ending. But in the middle, that’s when it’s hard. The middle is the longest stretch, you’ve lost momentum and the newness has worn off. The middle is where you will spend most of your life, so we have to CHOOSE to do the middle well.   In the Bible, Jesus’ disciples found themselves stuck in the middle. In Mark 6: 45-51 Jesus had his disciples get on a boat, right after feeding the five thousand and Jesus left to go pray. In verse 47, it says that the disciples were “stuck in the middle of the lake” and straining to get across due to the a storm that had formed. Jesus saw they were struggling and Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass them by but the disciples saw him and were terrified! But something amazing happened, Jesus spoke to them and said “take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid!” Then he climbed into the boat with them!   You may be finding yourself completely stuck in the middle of life right now. You could be struggling in the middle of your marriage, career, finances, raising young children, or even with yourself. You could be terrified of what next steps to take and start to panic. This is exactly where the enemy likes to come and messing things up. He is not interested in messing with you in the beginning, he wants to wait until you get away from the shore and then he starts the storm – in the middle. Be careful of what you throw overboard when you are in the middle of a struggle. When things get tough, sometimes our first reaction is to throw out Church, reading our Bible, or digging deep in our Faith. But we need to make sure we keep that lifejacket (Jesus Christ) as close to us as we possibly can. In the middle, you find out what is in the middle of YOU!   Then, when the disciples thought there was no hope, Jesus saw they were terrified, met them where they were at and said three things to them:

1. Take Courage. 2 It is I 3. Do not be afraid

Take Courage – This is an action, Jesus is telling you to take courage and put it on, like a jacket It is I – the Savior of the world, He will remain with you and make sure you get to the other side Do not fear – Jesus sees you, He knows the blessing that are ahead for you, no need to worry   If you find yourself stuck in the middle today, know that Jesus gets in the boat with you, calms the storm, and preforms the miracle. Only people who brave the middle will see the Jesus who walks on water. Don’t miss out on your miracle today, because you couldn’t brave the middle! Jesus has your back, you got this!