The Eye of the Storm
“Sometimes God calms the storm, and sometimes He calms the sailor.” – (unknown)
I have alwa
ys loved the story of Jesus rebuking the storm in Mark 4:35-41. When I was a child, I used to hide when storms came. I was very afraid of thunder, and I was too little to understand that noise was the only real threat thunder had to offer. It didn’t matter in the midst of the storm, though. All I knew was I was scared and needed shelter.
I have come quite a long way from the frightened child hiding under her bed from the thunder, but some storms still scare me. Some noises still leave my soul greatly jolted and deeply disturbed.
War is the storm of my adulthood. The storms of deployments and uncertainty still leave me searching for shelter. There are many days when I wish I could hide from it all, and come out when the storm is over. It is an abiding faith that allows me to keep from running and hiding. I can abide because Christ Jesus abides with me in His Word.
Can I “consider it joy” when I face these trials? Not on my own. I can consider it joy when I rest in the knowledge that the trials I face day in and day out are not put there for my defeat. According to James 1:2 those trials are put before me to help me grow in endurance.
Does this mean I should embrace war and fear and never pray for it’s end? Of course not. It means I need to walk toward the trial with confidence and remember that the Lord will not put me through more than He will enable me to handle. I trust that whatever He calls me to endure, He will certainly equip me to handle. I pray for war to cease, but I also pray for the grace to embrace with faith whatever reality God has placed before me.
When I ponder the story of Christ and the disciples in that tiny boat being tossed all around I have to wonder what the outcome would have been had the disciples asked Jesus to help their faith before they asked Him to stop the storm. There is nothing wrong with crying out “Lord, please stop the storm!” The scripture passage clearly shows that the Lord rebuked the storm, and not the disciples. He did gently admonish them for their lack of belief. They were supposed to assume that Jesus did, most definitely, care for them and their lives.
I am still practicing. It’s still my propensity to yell out “Lord, please stop the storm!” instead of crying out “Lord please give me the faith I lack!” first. What if I asked the Father to still my soul before I asked Him to still the storm? I pray one day this will be my response and it will feel as natural as taking my next breath. Instead of being tossed about helplessly in the boat, it is my sincere prayer that I will abide with the Lord in the eye of the storm.
About the Author:
Claire Shackelford began writing when she found herself attached to the Army at the hip—at one point her husband and two sons were serving. It was then she began writing about her journey through separations and deployments from a Christian perspective. She never faced deployment with her husband, but she has been through 2 now with her oldest son. Claire holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work and she serves as a ministry leader with Christian Military Wives as well as on the Board of Directors for Christian Military Fellowship.
Thank you so much for writing this! I needed to hear this today. I am struggling, after caring for my disabled veteran husband for so long, to stay afloat. thank you thank you.. I will continue to cry out for the lord to give me strength! xoxo
Thank you for sharing this, Claire! You have an incredible gift to write – I really love reading what you share.
I love your insight. It gave me one of my own. As a child I don’t ever remember being afraid of a storm. Maybe due to my father who took part in 3 different wars would sit in the car with me and we would watch it together. Being with him was comforting and knowing he was there made me fearless. I remember getting up on the flat space behind the back seat right under the glass and watching the light show and hearing the angels bowl as he would say. The biggest clash meant the biggest strike!
Today, I am a prior veteran, still fearless and run out to watch storms. My husband thinks I’m crazy and should be a storm chaser. When storms are brewing or hitting I run out to see the condition then demand it pass by and pray for all His children in the path as well as for those who don’t know Him. Then I take cover if required (very rarely) or go on about my business, which is the usual for me.
I now see that the preconditioning of my heart and mind by my father prepared me for the many storms that were to come in my life. It wasn’t until I chose to become reborn that I began seeing how the physical & spiritual connect and how they line up with His will. I thank God he gave my non-church going father the wisdom to instill spiritual lessons of a God father that I can now relate to. This is now one more of several Divine revelations of how God used my dad to reveal Himself… Thank You for helping me to see it!
God Bless you!
Kristen, we are definitely family with familiar struggles aren’t we? I am glad this spoke to you when you needed it the most. God is so faithful! Keep your eyes focused on Christ Jesus. He is truly our Lighthouse and Harbor, isn’t He?!
Patti, you are very welcome. ((hugs))