Face the storm

By Anne Spring

Some years ago, when our children were small, my husband and I were on a freighter sailing from Europe to our new field of service in South America. Due to long delays in the loading of the ship’s cargo, we found ourselves setting sail in the dead of the Mediterranean winter, close to the time of year when the apostle Paul was shipwrecked off the coast of Malta (Acts chapter 27; 28:1). We prayed that our fate would not be the same as his.

Two days out of port, we were caught in a storm. Even though our ship was heavily laden and lying deep in the water, the Force 12 gales caused it to reel violently. The children thought it was great fun, but the rest of us struggled to keep our composure and our stomachs where they belonged. Even the seasoned crew members were seasick.

We heard radio reports that a couple of other ships had already sunk. Would this be our end? If so, I wasn’t going to go down without a fight. There was nothing I could do physically to change the situation, but I could pray. And so I did, like I had never prayed before! “Jesus, please help us!” I implored. “You’re our only hope! Calm the sea! Give our captain the wisdom, faith, and courage he needs to get us through this. And help me to get over this horrible seasickness so I can think straight and pray better.”

“Go to the bridge.” I recognized that voice in my mind immediately. It was Jesus. “The captain is also praying. Pray with him and encourage his faith.”

When I stood up, Jesus gave me the strength to make my way to the bridge. The captain was alone there, and yes, he was also praying desperately. We held vigil together until we passed below Sicily, where we found refuge from the storm. The ship and its contents had sustained some damage, but no one had been hurt. Our prayers had been answered.

The Lord reminded me of this experience after some recent difficulties, and He showed me an important lesson from it: Face the storms of life unafraid. Climb up on top of the situation. Rise above! Get up there on the bridge, and take firm hold of the Captain’s hand. Jesus is our Pilot, and together we will soon be in safer waters. It takes faith to pray and gumption to act on those prayers, but faith coupled with action gets results.

It’s human nature to resist difficulty, to hide from it and hope it goes away, but that’s not the way of winners. Don’t take the storms of life lying down. Get up and fight! The battles of life may sometimes seem overwhelming, but the victory is yours, waiting right around the corner, and it is worth fighting for. •

Anne Spring is a member of the Family International in Serbia.