On that day, when evening came, He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.”
Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. (Mark 4:35-38)
Deployments are tough, no matter whether your serviceman is in a war zone or somewhere else. Those times when our son was away, it often felt like we were in the middle of an extended hurricane. It was during deployment that I finally understood the phrase, storms of life.
In the back of my mind, I’d figured my life would have some rough patches. I knew there’d be times when our family would struggle, but I never clued into the fact that sometimes being smack-dab in the middle of God’s will would propel me into those storms.
Somehow I had developed the idea that God’s will was a safe haven. I thought that when I was there I–and my family–would be protected.
Oh I knew doing God’s will would often draw the enemy’s fire, and I’d have to deal with spiritual warfare. But I still felt like God would direct me safely around and through the attacks. I thought those attacks would be the brunt of the storm.
But this passage above (and several others) show Jesus directing the disciples right into the teeth of danger. He knew a storm was coming when He sent them across the sea, but he still ordered them into the boat. The disciples obeyed without the slightest hesitation and ended up in the midst of chaos.
As I considered all the implications of this, it finally dawned on me that these storms have a purpose–a God-driven purpose. He sends us into these crazy difficult situations to strengthen us and to give us a foundation for our faith. This truth holds true even during the most difficult deployments.
Every time my own boat seems swamped and danger surrounds me, He’s there. He calms the waves of chaos when I turn to Him, each time making my faith stronger and more unshakable.
