"Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.” (Matthew 8:23-26)
The second way I've experienced storms in my life is with Jesus already in the boat, where He rises to rebuke the winds and waves of my soul. Some storms have been mild and others severe. I would not trade any of those storms for anything at all.
Why? Because the storms have progressively...spoken Truth to error; produced prayer instead of self-reliance; strengthened a grip on the Savior's hand when distracted; increased the sight of faith in one who had been blind; improved character; navigated toward holiness and Home; exposed the secret place of God; showed glimpses of God's glory at work; taught an embrace of pain as a vehicle toward His good; worked peace that passes understanding; and taught me to love myself and others as He has loved me.
What's not to love about the storms of life when you're in the boat with Jesus? The Master masters the soul's rolling storm clouds as easily as He does the clouds that roll across the sky. Clouds pass but the sky is unmoved. “Hear attentively the thunder of His voice, And the rumbling that comes from His mouth. God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things which we cannot comprehend." (Job 37:2,5)
