Recently I made my annual sailing trip to the Chesapeake Bay. One morning we were sailing from St. Michael’s, Maryland, headed for the Bay Bridge. We had light winds and the forecast wasn’t promising, including thunderstorms in late afternoon. When the winds died we turned on the motor and continued our run. Around l:00PM the motor quit working. My friend and captain of the sailboat called his engine mechanic for assistance. He determined that the fuel pump had failed and without the fuel pump, the motor would not work.
We were dead in the water, except for some very light winds. We tried tacking but there was not enough wind to move our heavy sailboat. We could see Bloody Point Lighthouse in the distance, a navigation marker that keeps boats from a shallow shoal on the Eastern side of the bay. We were still about twelve miles from our destination.
While we three crew members were trying to figure a way to keep sailing, the captain radioed for a tow. He announced that they would come to us in about an hour. There was nothing to do but eat lunch. We dropped the anchor and waited. The tow boat came as promised and towed us to the marina by the Bay Bridge. It took about three hours, not counting his time to return to his station. The price for towing a disabled boat in the Chesapeake is $200 an hour. Our twelve mile voyage turned out to be very expensive.
When we returned we crewman discussed what could have been a viable option. We could have remained anchored where we were and waited for the wind to pick up again. Since a thunderstorm was approaching that meant we would have higher winds. The three of us are all experienced sailors. We could have easily sailed back, even if we had to wait until the following morning. We had food, supplies and plenty of water. But, the captain panicked. He never considered the fact that we could wait for the wind to change. Perhaps he was impatient or believed it was essential to return as quickly as possible. I think he didn’t want to be in a storm. Without power, he felt he was not in control.
I am grateful that my friend was willing to pay the price for the tow and insure our safe passage back to the marina. However, I believe he could have saved himself a lot of money by waiting for the wind and trusting his crew to weather a storm.
When the disciples found themselves in the middle of a storm, they panicked; much like our captain did in the Chesapeake. Many of the disciples were experienced sailors. They were fishermen who were experienced on the Sea of Galilee. In a panic they cried to Jesus, “Teacher, do you not care if we are perishing?” Ironically, Jesus had more confidence in them then they had in themselves for he was asleep in the stern. He trusted their ability to navigate the boat while he remained asleep.
When we find ourselves in the midst of a storm it is very difficult to be self-assured or have faith. We envision the worst possible scenario. Fear prevents us from seeing options. We could have easily waited on the wind and sailed later, but my friend never considered that alternative.
Storms come in a variety of ways: there is the fear of a pro-longed recession. Many are fearful of being unemployed for a long period of time. There is also the fear of health problems such as contracting Swine Flu. There are personal storms too, like a relationship might be deteriorating. Machines break down and we often face obstacles that are overwhelming. Like the disciples there are times when we lack the faith to manage the storms in our lives because we are unable to see other options.
When we are at our wit’s end, on the edge of failure or feeling hopeless, we are not able to see the Lord in our midst. Jesus was there for the disciples and God was there for us. I have to admit that the tow boat was a welcome site. Although the disabled engine ended our sailing for the week, we were at least able to make the twelve mile cruise back up the bay. At the very least we had an option. It was expensive but we ended up safely in the boat’s home marina.
There is always a way. God is always in the boat. I remember when we were trying to sell our house when we moved to Sidney. It seemed like it would never sell. But our realtor kept saying, “For every house there is a buyer.” He must have said that a thousand times. It was his way of saying that we needed to have faith.
One of the reasons we don’t see other options is because we remain in our safe little worlds. In Mark we find the Jesus frequently challenging the disciples to get in their boats and sail to the other side. He wanted them to have a change of scenery. He wanted them to see that there were other worlds besides their own.
Change is hard. Many families have to change their lifestyles due to the recession. It might mean skipping the family vacation this summer. For others it might mean eating more meals at home or working a second job to make ends meet. On the other hand, change can stretch us, teach us lessons and enable us to be more open minded.
One time a young mother had a six-year-old son who had just learned to tie his shoes. She thought he would be proud but instead she found him sobbing. “What’s wrong,” she said empathically to her young son. He replied, “But Mommy, now I have to tie my shoes for the rest of my life!”
Jesus enhanced the faith of his disciples by stretching them. He took them to new places and introduced them to strangers. He invited them to “follow him” by leaving the coziness of their homes and family. To journey with Jesus was not always easy. They were frequently hiding from the authorities, camping out in remote places or sailing in storms. But, in the midst of their fears, Jesus always radiated peace and calmness. “Have you no faith?”
The disciples panicked in the storm and wanted Jesus to help them. “He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘peace be still.’ The wind ceased and there was a dead calm.” For them this was a quick fix. God however does not always act instantaneously. Sometimes we have to wait. Sometimes we have to learn lessons. More importantly we have to trust that God will see us through the storms of life.
What helps us through the storms of life is to live with the reassurance that God is always in our boat. While the disciples were experiencing a storm, Jesus remained a non-anxious presence in their midst. Unlike them, he did not panic.
We all face storms and there will continue to be more of them in the future. Sometimes we will feel like we are sinking. Other times we will be frantically bailing out. Sometimes we will be so afraid we will be paralyzed and unable to do anything. Rough seas can make us sick, throw us off balance and make us feel helpless.
One time I was flying from Baltimore to Dayton. We boarded the plane and soon we were headed for the runway. For some unknown reason the plane stopped on the tarmac. We sat there for about fifteen minutes not knowing what was wrong. Finally, the pilot said over the intercom, “Sorry ladies and gentlemen, we have to return to the terminal since we have a problem with the plane.” We returned to the terminal and everyone was instructed to get off the plane. We were told to go to another gate in the terminal where we would board a different plane. We hurried to the gate but ended up standing in line for about forty-five minutes. Finally It was announced that we could board. We were now about two hours beyond our original departure time. The plane again headed for the runway but when we arrived, once again we stopped. The pilot said on the intercom, “The tower has not cleared us for takeoff due to bad weather. We may have to sit here for anywhere from fifteen minutes to two hours. Sorry folks.”
Needless to say the people of the plane were getting anxious, including myself. I couldn’t help notice that the guy next to me was reading the Wall Street Journal. He kept reading it cover to cover, over and over. He never looked up or seemed upset in any way. I became acutely aware of his calm presence. It made me feel safe and secure. I realized that God is always in our boat, especially during life storms, but we don’t always see Him or sense His presence. Thanks be to God for his prevailing presence in the midst of the storms of life.
Dr. Keith Wagner