Turbine
Il vostro cuore non sia turbato; credete in Dio, credete anche in me! Giovanni 14:1
Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.
John 14:1, NIV
I love the way languages deepen my understanding of the Word of God.
To English speakers, the Italian word turbato may sound familiar. It springs from the Latin root turbinem, and from it we derive English words such as turmoil, disturb, and trouble. Closest in pronunciation is the word turbine.
Right now, I’m 30,000 feet above the earth, sitting over a powerful turbine that propels this airplane through the clouds. I can feel the power beneath my seat but can’t see this mighty machine. It’s hidden under the wing outside my window. The pilot just asked us to put on our seatbelts because of turbulence caused by resisting air currents over the Middle East, where we are now crossing. The turbines carry me where I need to go; the turbulence threatens to spill my coffee.
The atmosphere of our lives can turn our hearts into mighty turbines inside our chests. Troubles can cause us to spin and whir out of control, forcing us to speed up, do more, and push harder through our days. Turbulence can make the journey bumpy and irritating.
Let not your hearts be troubled, said Jesus.
Let not your hearts be turbulent turbines, one might say.
When I read John 14:1 in Italian, I imagine something like this:
Let not your hearts spin with a pressure that propels you through your day at dangerous speed. Do not let your heart be a turbine, turning peace into turmoil. Let not your hearts grow turbulent, causing you to spill your coffee on your shirt and having to go home and change making you late for work and making your day even worse.
Jesus invites us to keep a quiet heart, not a turbulent one. The way to manage the pressures of life is to believe in Him.
How’s your heart today, traveler?
Lord, I hold my heart still by trusting You amidst the winds and pressures of life. Amen.
Image by Michael Schwarzenberger from Pixabay
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