The Great Storm

One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they set out, and as they sailed he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger. And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?” (Luke 8:22-25 ESV).

The third worst storm in US history made landfall in September, 1961. It actually came ashore at Port Lavaca, Texas, though its immense size carried 180 mph winds and spawned 29 tornados over the island of Galveston, Texas. I was only twelve at the time, but living on 10th Street gave me a bird’s eye view of devastation the likes of which I have never seen before. I watched from the second story home we lived in at the time as the water rose to over 12 feet, completely flooding the first floor. Winds howled for three days as it crawled across the island leveling most of the structure in its path. It took months to recover from the storm. Our reading today reminds me that life’s stormy waters crash over all of us. The disciples weren’t immune from the raging waters of life. They got caught in a violent storm one evening on the Sea of Galilee. Even with the creator of the wind and the waves in the bottom of the boat, the threatening squall still blew in. Couldn’t Jesus have commanded the storm to die down even before it started? He could have, but he didn’t choose to do so. I think the reason he let the storm toss that little boat around for a while was to give his disciples a clear picture that he would be with them no matter what. Do you find yourself in the middle of one of life’s storms? As loud as the wind may be howling in your life; as high as the floods may be rising; as devastating as the storm may seem we can be assured that the Lord is in the boat with us. Had I been alone during Carla I’m sure I would have much more terrified than curious. However, my dad was with us assuring us all along that regardless of how terrible it might seem, we were going to be okay. I remember one particular event that week. When the electricity went out all the freezers in the store also went out. That meant all the ice cream and popsicles would melt and go to waste. So, Dad simply told us to “eat all we wanted.” Now that’s a twelve year old’s dream come true! Well, Jesus would tell us to relax during the storms. Eat a popsicle. It’s going to be just fine!