There's a famous story in Mark 6 about Jesus and his disciples. After they fed the 5000, Jesus sent his disciples away in the boat, while Jesus went up the mountain to pray. As the disciples fought to row against the wind, Jesus caught up with them, walking on the water. Of course they were scared, freaked out. He tried to calm their fears, then climbed in the boat and the wind immediately calmed. When they arrived at the shore, another crowd was there, waiting for Jesus.
I try to imagine what the disciples were experiencing. When they began their boat excursion, they had just witnessed a miracle of multiplication. Five loaves and two fish became 12 basketfuls of leftovers, after more than 5000 people ate their fill. Then they are fighting, straining, to row into the wind, when Jesus casually strolls alongside the boat. When he gets in the boat, the straining is over, and they smoothly sail to the shore.
The disciples who began that voyage were different men when they came ashore. While meditating on the meaning of the feeding miracle, they observed this man defying the laws of nature. Jesus was no ordinary man. No wonder the crowds wanted to see him.
When these tired disciples rowed onto shore, and when the crowds surrounded them, they had new energy to serve the crowd and love them. The disciples had witnessed the glory of Jesus, and this made all the difference.
When I experience the glory of Jesus, he helps me meet life with energy and joy.
