The Squall

In the fall of 2012, Hurricane Sandy, a category 2 storm made landfall in parts of the eastern coast of the US. It was of the most costly, deadly, and destructive hurricanes in 2012. I was a witness to that storm, I was in my 3rd year of college and I remember having no school for at least a week and a half. No power for almost a week, gas stations were running out of gas, even some fast-food restaurants were running out of food. It was a nightmare to most people who were in its path. It was a storm I will never forget.

A squall. A squall by Webster's dictionary is a sudden violent wind often with rain or snow. It was a type of storm that the disciples experienced. In Mark chapter 4, we see that Jesus was teaching to all who would listen, regarding faith. At the end of the day, Jesus tells his disciples to go to the other side of the lake. During the middle of the voyage, a squall had come, and the waves started rocking the boat. Water started pouring into the boat. In life, many times, we experience a squall, something that we don’t anticipate happening. We can go through sudden financial difficulties, or health scares. We find ourselves having a storm cloud over our heads, trying to figure out if we are going to make it.

As the storm hit, the disciples started to panic and stating that they were going to die. They lost sight of their faith, so they woke up Jesus to come save them. Jesus said to the storm, “Peace! Be still.” He then said to the disciples “Why are you so scared, do you not have any faith?” It’s funny, Jesus spoke about having faith, earlier in the day and the disciples, are not even exercising it. That is because their fear was greater than their faith. They thought they were going to die. To be honest, I would be afraid too, if I was in their shoes. But God calls us not to fear the storm but to have faith to overcome the storm.

There are storms in this life, that we feel we are drowning in. Multiple times in the Bible, God reminds us that we should not fear. It says it 365 times. That is one verse, a day, that says “do not fear”. If God says it multiple times, that we should be quick to listen (James 1:19). But it is easier said than done, when life has its hands on your throat, trying to squeeze every bit of life out. John 16:33 states “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”. In every situation, believe that God has everything under control, regardless of how bleak it is.