The porchside lesson

Being a native Floridian, one grows accustomed to unpredictable weather as winter fades into spring. One day may end in the 80s, only to be followed by a morning in the 30s. When warm and cold air collide, storms often brew. My dad and I would stand on the back porch and watch the storm clouds roll in just like we had so many evenings. There was something fascinating about the changing horizon.
Sometimes, when we were near the coast, Dad would look toward the clouds and say, “Batten down the hatches.” It was his way of saying it was time to prepare for the storm. Other times he would simply call it a “30-minute storm.” That meant from the moment the first cloud appeared, the whole thing would pass through in about half an hour. And the funny thing is — he was almost always right.
Standing there, I learned something about storms from my father. Life carries uncertainty, and trials are part of this world. The struggles we face are not always made of wind and rain. Sometimes they come as worry, loss, disappointment, or seasons that test our faith. Some test our endurance only for a short time, much like a 30-minute storm.
The disciples experienced a storm like that on the Sea of Galilee. The wind rose and the waves crashed over the boat, and they feared for their lives. Yet with a single word Jesus spoke, “Peace, be still,” and the sea grew calm as the wind and the waves obeyed the Lord (Mark 4:35–41).
Then, with the proverbial flip of a coin, harder storms blow in, requiring us to hold steady and ride out circumstances we cannot control. In those moments the Word of God becomes our beacon. God promises to be with us in the rough waters and that the rivers will not overwhelm us (Isaiah 43:2). The psalmist reminds us that God is our refuge and strength in times of trouble. Even when the ground beneath us crumbles, we need not fear because He holds us.
Scripture gives us a powerful picture of this kind of faith in the life of the Apostle Paul. While under arrest and being taken to Rome to stand trial, Paul found himself in the middle of a violent storm at sea. For days the winds raged and the sailors feared for their lives. Yet Paul remained calm. While others panicked, he stood steady, trusting the God who held both the wind and the waves. Even in the middle of the storm, Paul knew that God had not abandoned them and was already guiding them safely toward shore (Acts 27).
Like Paul, in both physical and spiritual storms we are called to stay anchored in God.
We pray a little more, lean a little harder on Scripture, and seek after Him. Some pass quickly, while others require us to hold steady. But in every trial we place our hope in the One who created us and holds us safely through it all.
When I think about storms, my mind often returns to those evenings on the porch with my dad. It is in those quiet memories that I still remember standing beside him, watching the clouds roll in across the horizon. Back then he was teaching me how to read the weather, but along the way he was also teaching me how to trust God in the storms of life.
He brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed – Psalm 107:28b-29.

Cheryl Mixon-Cruce is Pastor of Ochlockonee Bay United Methodist Church and Sopchoppy United Methodist Church.