It’s almost midnight and I’m lying in bed listening to the sounds of booming thunder in the night sky and torrential rain on the roof. Blinding lightning flashes outside my window and literally lights up the room. To be honest, it’s a little scary. As a small child I huddled under my mom’s sewing machine cabinet for protection each time the storms hit. I wish I could do that now. Let’s face it, I’ve never been a fan of violent storms.
One of the worst storms I’ve ever experienced happened while camping with friends high in the Sierra Nevada mountains. After a great day of hanging out, eating, and playing games, it was time for bed. I left the warmth of my friend’s 5th wheel and headed for my tent. The tent is affectionately named the “Taj Ma Tent”. It’s a cozy place, 10×17 feet … the perfect amount of room for one person! I like to be comfortable, so I have a queen-size blow-up mattress with sheets and a bedspread, a nightstand where I store my clothes, a battery-powered lantern within reach of the bed, a solar-powered fan to cool things down, a 2×8 foot runner rug to prevent the tent floor from getting too dirty, and a dressing area where I can easily wash my hair and generally clean up for the day. I even have one of those little hand push sweepers you see in restaurants, just to keep things tidy. I love to camp in the beauty of nature as long as I have all the comforts of home!
Shortly after crawling between the crisp sheets, the storm hit. Flashes of lightning struck so close, I was afraid for my life. Thunder clapped with a deafening roar and echoed repeatedly through the nearby canyons. The wind began to howl and buckets of rain fell for what seemed like hours. All I could do was huddle beneath the covers of my bed and pray. My anxiety level was high out of fear of a direct lightning strike to my tent. Finally, I realized a lightning bolt would kill me instantly, there would be no lingering suffering, and I would be with Jesus. Suddenly, in the middle of the storm, I had peace. Jesus would either save me from the storm or take me home. Though the storm continued to rage through the night, I drifted off to sleep, as He whispered “peace be still” to my heart.
I’m reminded of a similar situation in the Bible when Jesus calmed a vicious storm while on a boat with the disciples …
One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and started out. As they sailed across, Jesus settled down for a nap. But soon a fierce storm came down on the lake. The boat was filling with water, and they were in real danger. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves. Suddenly the storm stopped and all was calm. Then he asked them, “Where is your faith?” The disciples were terrified and amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “When he gives a command, even the wind and waves obey him!” – Luke 8:22-25 (NLT)
I learned an important lesson. When I put my faith and trust in Jesus, he calms the storms in my life.
Simple Faith 