Today we were on the boat enjoying the lake. The sun was shining and boaters were everywhere. All of a sudden the sky started to darken, the wind began to get stronger, and the rain was coming across the lake like a curtain being drawn at the end of a Broadway play!
On the other side of the lake, several miles away, the sun was shining. I began to think,"If we go towards the sunshine, we can get out of the way of this storm." But, this storm was moving too fast and widening as it got closer. Whoooosh! Hard rain, huge waves, the boat was tossed to and fro, and worst of all, no visibility!
I slowed the boat and kept trying to move in the direction of the sun. The more we moved, the worse the storm became. Here we were in the middle of a large lake and struggling to find safety in the center of a thunder storm! My family was all huddled together and hanging on! Waiting for me to do something to get them out of this mess!
At this point, I was frustrated. There was literally nothing I could do. I slowed the boat even more and kept a watchful eye towards land. "Lord, we can't take much more of this," I prayed. "Will you ease this storm so that we can get back home?"
Several minutes went by. Then, the rain began to cease and the sun began to shine! "Home! I can see it!" Immediately, I pointed the boat towards home and continued until we were all safe. The trip back was eye opening. Several sailboats had capsized! We stopped to help those along our way to our safe haven.
As we docked the boat, I was reminded of a passage of scripture that I had read. It had just become a reality! That passage was Psalm 107:23-30. NKJV
"23Those who go down to the sea in ships, Who do business on great waters, 24They see the works of the Lord, And His wonders in the deep. 25For He commands and raises the stormy wind, Which lifts up the waves of the sea. 26They mount up to the heavens, They go down again to the depths; Their soul melts because of trouble. 27They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, And are at their wits' end. 28Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble, And He brings them out of their distresses. 29He calms the storm, So that its waves are still. 30Then they are glad because they are quiet; So He guides them to their desired haven."
The storms in our life come upon us sometimes without warning. Sometimes, however, we see them coming but struggle to get out of their way. Either way, they still come! But what do we do when these situations overtake us? Most of the time we fight them or try to out smart them. Only to find ourselves frustrated with no answers or peaceful end in sight.
All the while, the One who can calm the storms in our life is standing by to still the waves and bring us peace and comfort. He is waiting for us to cry out to Him so that He can bring us out of our distresses.
As we walked up the dock toward the house, I watched everyone as they hurried to get inside and "freshen up." We all bore the marks of the storm...soaked, weary, and even somewhat disappointed. But we were safe!
Our life storms will sometimes leave us scarred and battered, and even at times capsize us. Nevertheless, as we place our trust in the Lord, we will arrive at our safe haven!
By the way, the weather will be nice next week. I think I'll go for a boat ride!
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