Stilling the storm

Psalm 107:23-31

“Others went out to sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. They saw the works of the Lord, His wonderful deeds in the deep. For He spoke and stirred up a tempest that lifted high the waves. They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths; in their peril their courage melted away. They reeled and staggered like drunken men; they were at their wits’ end. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and He guided them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds to men.”

I recently got a reprieve from my troubles for two weeks, with a bird’s eye view of the South Pacific Ocean for part of that time.

I couldn’t stop staring at the restless sea. Surfers were out from early morning until the sun set. Barges, fishing boats and yachts sailed under a boundless, ever-changing sky. I saw humpback whales breaching from my perch on the 23rd floor of a beachside condo.

I’ve always been fascinated by oceans. I can sit for hours, walk for hours, stare for hours.

It’s in my blood. My ancestors on my father’s mother’s side come directly from Maine mariners. My great-great-great grandfather was a captain who sailed the Atlantic Ocean. When his sons were old enough they joined him on the sea. My great-great-grandfather had asthma and the open salty air helped him. However in his mid-20s he headed for the dry air of South Dakota and set up a livery stable there. I’ve often wondered how he felt, being landlocked after being raised on the wild, craggy coast of Rockland, Maine.

Part of the reason I visited the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia is to recoup myself. Funny thing is, seaside is where I usually head when my soul is in need of repair.

From scripture, it appears that Jesus did too. This passage in Psalm 107 reminds me of the time when an exhausted Jesus headed out to “sea” after he heard about his beloved cousin John the Baptist’s beheading at the hands of a vindictive, power-hungry mother/pimp who wanted Herod to have her daughter. Matthew 14:13, “When Jesus heard what had happened [to John] he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place.”

After Jesus spoke to a crowd all day about the parable of the sower, a lamp on a stand, the parable of the growing seed, and the parable of the mustard seed (see Mark 4) He was dog-tired. When evening came He suggested to the disciples that they go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Other boats went along too and it wasn’t long before a “furious squall” erupted. Waves broke over the boat and it was nearly swamped. However, an unconcerned, exhausted Jesus slept soundly on a cushion.

Can you hear Peter waking Jesus up? “Don’t you CARE if we drown?” In other words...”Hellllooooo! Why are you sleeping at a time like this? At least you could help bail!”

Imagine a groggy Jesus (because He was human like us) got up, rebuked the temper-tantrum winds and waves and said, “Quiet! Be still!” Of course, the disciples were terrified because the wind and waves obeyed Him.

So. Here I am, recovering from a nearly four-year, life-changing tempest that has wreaked havoc in me. Sometimes it seemed that Jesus slept.

In that same passage in Mark, Jesus asked his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

My response to that question is similar to the man described in Mark 9:14-24 who came to Jesus for his son’s healing. He said to Jesus, “But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” Jesus responded, “’IF you can?’ Everything is possible for him who believes.”

I join my voice to this anonymous father’s answer/plea to Jesus, “I DO believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

I watched the soothing ocean because I sought the result of the mariner’s fearful cries in Psalm 107 when their courage melted away, they were at their wits’ end, and they cried out to the Lord in their trouble: God brought them out of their distress, He stilled the storm to a whisper, the waves were hushed, and they were glad when He guided them to their desired haven.