Without Warning

“Without warning, 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.” Matthew 8:23-26.

We used to have a pontoon when our children were little. One afternoon when Bruce and I had taken our children out on the lake black clouds quickly rolled in while we were still a good distance from home. The storm that day came out of nowhere with such furious strength and power Bruce could not even see to navigate. He had to stand up in the chair to shield his face from the storm while trying to return home. I took the kids into the little 3x3 bathroom on the pontoon, knelt down and held them close on my lap. I could hear the clasps of thunder and knew lightning was following. All I could do was kneel and pray. Remarkably, Bruce was able to navigate the boat back to our slip and we got ourselves and the children safely back home.

That experience showed me first hand how quickly and violently things can arise that reminds me of both our smallness and meekness. That day was eerily characteristic of the storms I have had to weather in my life. There have been times when, kneeled in my own fear and despair, I felt like Jesus was sleeping. Times when I went running to Him explaining my desperate situation, pleading with Him to wake up and save me! How could He sleep during this raging storm in my life? Couldn’t He see the great probability of me drowning? Each time I ran to Him, he arose and, with a word, rebuked those winds of sadness and calmed those waves of despair.

None of us are exempt from these storms and we will be blown around by the furious squalls of life and experience discomfort as the storm stings our faces. God doesn’t promise to calm our storms when we cry out to Him but He does promise to calm our hearts and fears.

There is an enduring fire close to Him that will warm, comfort and guide us as the storm rages around us, and one day we realize it is once again quiet and calm. He has saved us and He has kept us from drowning.