He knows a storm is scary

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.” (Isaiah 43:2a KJV)

There’s a peace I’ve come to know
Though my heart and flesh may fail
There’s an anchor for my soul
I can say “It is well”

I sang these words over and over, hoping that the repetition would procure me some peace. But I did not feel peace. My soul felt troubled, even terrified. Where is God in this mess? Where is God in this uncertainty?

I’m sure I sounded exactly like Jesus’ disciples when they were caught in a storm at sea. Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” Jesus didn’t ask them this because they were afraid of the storm; it was because they questioned whether or not Jesus cared.

And here I was with the exact same fears: Don’t You care, God? God doesn’t mind the scared response—He knows a storm is scary— but He says Jesus is in the boat with us, and we don’t need to question whether or not He cares.

Sometimes it all feels like too much, my peace slips away from me and, like the apostles, I question if God cares.

But of course, Jesus is with me in my boat, and He does care. I read that story again. I sang the lines of that beautiful hymn over and over, calling peace back to my soul, and it came. [1]

 God's peace is not the calm after the storm. It's the steadfastness during it. - Dr. Michelle Bengtson

[1] Activated Rough Seas