“And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.  He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” Mark 4:37-40 ESV

I love falling asleep to the sound of rain. Even as a little girl growing up in the Caribbean, I loved the soothing sound of raindrops dancing on our galvanize roof top.

I love it so much I found the next best thing – YouTube videos – thanks to a simple search phrase – “raindrops on a tin roof”.

And while the videos are a good substitute, they aren’t quite as calming and comforting as hearing a real life rainstorm.

Some days, I’ll check the weather forecast to see what nights it will rain.

Like a kid eagerly anticipating their next treat, I look forward to cuddling up in bed and falling asleep to one of my favorite sounds.

If only it were the same when it came to the storms of life. That kind of downpour I can absolutely live without.

Maybe it’s because they’re unexpected and there’s no app to forecast when they’ll come or how long they’ll last.

For the past few months however, the Holy Spirit has been challenging me to look at my trials differently. Whether naturally or spiritually, He’s been prompting my heart to always be at peace.

Too many times we respond like the disciples in Mark 4 as they traveled to the other side of the sea with Jesus.

As the storm raged against their boat, they began to panic and questioned “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

Jesus on the other hand was in the stern. Asleep. On the cushion. Calm and comfortable.

Sure it’s easy to read that encounter and criticize the disciple’s reaction. After all, Jesus was in the boat just a short distance away from them. But isn’t it the same for us?

Don’t we also get afraid and have no faith even though Jesus is always right there with us?

Don’t we sometimes question if God is with us, and if He truly cares about us, then why do we face such major battles?

As disciples, God wants us to remember His promise in John 16:33 (ESV), ^“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Walking with God doesn’t mean storms won’t come.

But when they come crashing into our lives, we don’t have to fear. We are safe because even the wind and the sea obey our God.

So the next time a storm threatens to steal our peace, let’s anchor our souls in His word.

No matter how high or how low the tides of life may be, He will always bring us safely through each storm.