David Ralph

The Eye of the Storm

I have been sitting under the lanai here in Florida and very quickly, without much warning other than some early claps of thunder, a severe storm has blown in.  The wind is howling between 40 and 50 miles per hour.  In fact, it has blown one of the screens out that protects the pool area.  The waves on the water I overlook are anywhere between a foot and a half and three feet with whitecaps on the top of them.  The rain has reduced visibility to less than 100 feet.  The lighting and thunder are loud and intense.  I haven’t seen a storm like this in a long time. 

As I sit protected under this lanai (although I can feel the mist from the rain) I was thinking about the story where the disciples were in a boat and a “furious squall” came up and the waves began to fill the boat with water until it was nearly swamped.  As I looked at this storm and look across the water, I couldn’t imagine being caught out on the small body of water that I overlook let alone on a larger of water like the disciples were on.  It must have been terrifying.  But then they look in Jesus direction and he is asleep in the back of the boat.  The disciples wake him and ask him if he really cares about them.  As if his sleeping while they are in trouble is an indication that he doesn’t care.  But it had nothing to do with his care for them.  It was his ability to calm the storm that allowed him to sleep while they were terrified.  He did it by simply saying the words, “Quiet, Be Still”.  He then encourages them (maybe it is more of a gracious rebuke) to trust him – to have faith in him – to rest in his power – when the storms come.

Life can be like this can’t it?  All can seem to be going so well.  The phrase we use is “smooth sailing.”  But without warning, a furious circumstantial storm can blow into our lives.  It can be a relational storm – a financial storm – a vocational storm – a physical health storm – an emotional storm.  The winds of hurt and heartache can blow pretty hard.  The waves of discouragement and disappointment seem pretty big.  The circumstantial rains reduce our visibility and make it hard to look into the future.  We, like the disciples can be anxious and filled with fear.  We can be terrified.  The water is coming into our little “life boat” and we think that we are going to be swamped.  Our first reaction is often, “Where is Jesus in this storm?”  We wonder, because of his response or reaction to what is going on in our life, whether he really cares.  This is the pattern that happens to me sometimes when storms blow.  I begin to panic long before I consider praying.  But when I get to prayer, I can hear those words of Jesus as he spoke to the storm, “Quiet! Be still.”  I can hear him say – sometimes as a rebuke – but most often as words of encouragement, “trust me – have faith in me – rest in me – I am with you in these storms and I care about you.”

As I finish writing this today, the storm has already stopped.  I look towards the east and the sun is beginning to shine again.  The storm has passed.   There is a quiet calmness again over the water.   It is going to be alright.  At least until the next storm comes, maybe tomorrow.