“A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor”– Franklin D. Roosevelt

When we first set off, our hearts were hopeful and full of dreams. We believed we would sail the world, discovering great depth and beauty throughout.

From the shore, the sea looked serene and inviting; however a harsh reality awaited us. Not one of us could have known that the expanse we sought to master would have the power to threaten all we hold dear.

It is said that an experienced sailor can infer the size of a storm by listening to the sound of the wind. But often in our voyage, there will be little warning or ability to predict what is forming in our horizon.

Like a captain who finds himself miles from the coast when the darkness overtakes the sky; we too will inevitably find ourselves in these precarious positions at various points in our lives.

There is nothing that can truly prepare our hearts for these moments we will encounter. No matter how diligently we batten down the hatches, we are simply exposed and vulnerable to the relentless assault of the elements.

As we move deeper into the waters of life, the size and severity of storms only increase; testing every facet of our character.

Unemployment; steady blankets of rain over our financial well-being.

Loneliness; waves of emotions and questions surrounding our self-worth. 

Physical health; lightning strikes straight to our core through an unexpected diagnosis.

Mental health; clouds of hidden depression and anxiety concealing our vision and hope.

The calm before these storms found in the deafening silence of an unanswered call or tension of a waiting room.

The eye of each storm discovered through the humbling realization we are powerless to withstand them alone. 

The aftermath almost always experienced in periods of grief, healing and restoration.

In his book ‘The Perfect Storm’, Sebastian Junger writes:

“Anyone who has been through a severe storm at sea has, to one degree or another, almost died, and that fact will continue to alter them long after the winds have stopped blowing and the waves have died down.”

For those weathered seamen who can relate, it’s true; that even after a difficult storm passes, the trauma remains. Disoriented, we are left to wade through devastation and debris; plagued by the crippling apprehension of when the next system will arrive. 

In the end however, perhaps the greatest storm any of us will face is death itself; the passing over from one sea to another. 

To weather this will have nothing to do with the build of our ship, nor the skill of our hand. 

Avoiding the potential shipwreck caused by death relies solely on one critical factor; Connection. Tying ourselves to the only stable point of anchorage; By which Job 11:18 promises, we “will be secure, because there is hope” allowing us to “rest in safety”

Only through Him then, can we find calm before, during, and after the storm.

Only through Him, can we peacefully sail the other side evermore.

Where we will hear in unison, the shanty sung:

He walked on top of water,

He calmed the shifting sea.

He sank down to the darkest depths,

To secure our hearts and set us free.