My five-year-old daughter lay on the couch with a bout of small pox. The preschool school informed me that my son had stuck a kernel of corn in his ear. My one-year-old screeched in the other room,. Spaghetti sauce splattered all over the stove. My husband would be home soon expecting dinner, and don’t even talk to me about the unkempt house. But I kept spinning those imaginary plates because that’s what mamas do, right?

The disciples were in a similar state of exhaustion. Jesus sent them ahead in a boat into a storm while he stayed ashore to pray.

They struggled in the middle of the Sea of Galilee, rowing and rowing, and going nowhere. The wind whipped, and waves crashed over the sides of the boats. 

And they rowed and rowed. 

Exhaustion weighed down on their wet-soaked garments—all the rowing with no results. You can almost hear their unspoken cry.

“Where are you Lord?”

“Why did you send us here?”

“When will this end?”

Or maybe they thought they could handle it and didn’t seek God’s help. 

Isn’t that like us? The kids cling to us from all directions. They all want something. Sleep-deprived, we keep rowing and rowing—going nowhere. The boss wants the project now, your spouse needs your help pronto, school is canceled, an aging parent demands your attention, and your child tested positive for Covid.

We are mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and physically spent. We don’t know what to do, so we keep rowing and rowing. Then Jesus comes to you as the storm rages. We can hardly make him out.

Is it you, Lord? Did I hear your voice, or was that my imagination?

But Jesus speaks into the storm. 

“Have courage. It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

Peter said, “If it’s you, command me to come to you on the water.”

Jesus replies, “Come.”

Peter walks on water to Jesus until he remembers he’s still in the middle of the raging storm. Lightning flashes. Thunder crashes. He sinks. Immediately, Jesus grabs and rescues him.

The storm still rages.

“You of little faith. Why did you doubt?”

That hurts. Didn’t Peter take steps of faith?

So like us. So like me. God has come through in so many of our trials. But this one? It’s a biggie. 

Peter and Jesus stepped into the boat, and the winds immediately calmed. His presence filled the boat. 

You can make it too, friend. When you are in the storm, Jesus says, “Come.” When you doubt, He holds out His hand to rescue you. He’s with us in the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of the storm. You may not see it. You may not like it, but this trial is precisely where He wants you. And He speaks to us, too:

“Have courage. It is I. Don’t be afraid.