The Ship Was Built for This Storm

WE WERE on a ministry cruise to Alaska, spending time with some of the folks who support the Urban Alternative, when a storm broke out. It was a wicked storm. The worst storm some of the crew had ever seen. There were squalls, waves up to forty feet high.

We are on a cruise liner and it was being tossed around like a tin can. So my wife started getting a little bit evangelically ticked off. We had found out that the captain knew we were going to hit the storm, but he had to get back because he had paying customers that he had to pick up for the next cruise.

So it was a business deal for him. My wife was very concerned and irritated that he would inconvenience our passengers like this. People were throwing up, the plates were falling all over the place, and everyone was a wreck. It was a wicked situation.

My wife picked up the phone and asked the operator to connect her with the captain. “Well, I am sorry. The captain is tied up on the bridge now with this storm. He can’t speak to you.”

“Well, I just don’t understand why he would put us through this, knowing the storm is coming.” “Well, I’ll deliver the message, but he can’t talk to you.”

We get a call back in a few minutes. It was the assistant captain. He said, “I was given your message, and we will gave it to the captain. The captain has two responses.

One, go to sleep. You can go to sleep because I am staying up. You can’t do anything from the cabin so go to sleep and know that I am staying up. The second thing is, this ship was built with this storm in mind.”

He said, “I know it looks bad, but when we built this boat, we knew this day was going to come out here on this water, and we’ve already taken that into consideration. This storm did not catch us by surprise, and though it’s inconvenient, and though it’s rough, though it’s difficult, you can still go to sleep because the boat can handle the storm.” I don’t know what God is letting you go through, but His message to you today is go to sleep, because I am staying up.

He has orchestrated your life so that you can withstand whatever trials He has allowed to come through.