From Peril to Peace

When our children were very young we owned a pontoon boat and frequently went out on the lake.  I remember one day in particular the sun was brightly shining and the skies were clear.  We had moved through the smooth water to the furthest point of the lake.  Suddenly, a storm came upon us out of nowhere, and we were sitting ducks in the aluminum vessel.  We became an attractor for trouble and I hurried the kids into our tiny bathroom on the pontoon.  Bruce had to navigate through the storm as it raged with thunder, lightning and the tossing of the boat.  I remember peeking out of the bathroom at one point and he was standing up in the captain’s seat because he couldn’t see.  He was using the ceiling of the vessel to shield his eyes from the pelting water.  I sat in that tiny bathroom with my arms tightly around my babies and prayed.  Thankfully, through God’s mercy we were safely delivered home.  I felt so vulnerable as I wasn’t prepared for that storm. 

In remembering this story today, it dawned on me that we rarely are prepared for our storms of life.  I believe it is because we were not made for storms.  In Genesis, it is written that God made us for unhindered dwelling in paradise.  He made us to rule over everything on the earth and gave us a beautiful dynasty to enjoy.  But that wasn’t enough for the heart of mankind, and we snatched what wasn’t ours, inviting sin and death into our beautiful world.  This is why we are not equipped and prepared for storms…we were never meant to endure them.  But God in His love is the one who navigates through our storms.  He tells us to take shelter in Him and that our job is to trust that He will steer the ship through the thunder and lightning of life.  As long as we give Him the control He will be faithful in taking us from tumult to peace…drenching rains to sunny skies…painful times to indescribable joy.

Storms are inevitable as occupational hazards of life but we cannot be attractors of trouble.  He allows into our lives what we need to grow in the image of Christ.  We cannot thwart the storm, we cannot deny its power but we can have confidence that God holds the power over all of our challenging times.  Storms will come and our worlds will be rocked but God holds the power over every circumstance.

“He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.  Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven.” Psalm 107:29-30.