She’s Comin’ on Strong
On September 20, 1991, the seventy foot “Andrea Gail” set sail from Gloucester Harbor, Massachusetts, and headed north to the fishing grounds of the North Atlantic. On October 28, after a somewhat lackluster sword fishing expedition, Captain Billy Tyne and his crew were heading home when he gave this message to nearby fishing boats about an approaching storm – “She’s comin’ on boys, and she’s comin’ on strong.” No one heard from the “Andrea Gail” ever again. Within hours of that message, the “Andrea Gail” was lost at sea along with her crew of six. Days later search and rescue teams found some floating wreckage, but the boat and its crew members have never been found.
The National Weather Service forecaster who tracked the deadly storm said that three weather systems, three pieces of energy, came together to create this phenomenon, thus this storm has become known as the “Perfect Storm.”
Just like the “Andrea Gail,” we sometimes find ourselves in the midst of a storm. Storms that rock our lives and seem to threaten the very foundation we stand upon. Storms that cause us to become discouraged and ready to give up. Sometimes the storm is caused by only one piece of energy, other times, three pieces of energy, thereby creating a massive “perfect storm.”
So how can you weather these storms of life? Begin by putting your trust in Jesus and knowing that He is your anchor. Hebrews 6:19 tells us that Jesus is “an anchor for our soul, firm and secure.” And in Isaiah 25:4 we read these assuring words – “You have been refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat.”
Jesus promises to be right there with you, every step of the way. Not only is Jesus a licensed boat captain, He is also a certified lifeguard. He is qualified to navigate your boat through the storms and He is qualified to rescue you from the raging ocean waters should you fall off the boat during the storm. Jesus reaches out His hand to you and says “grab hold.”
The Synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Make, Luke, tell the story of Jesus calming a furious storm (Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25). These stories all took place on the Sea of Galilee. In my biblical studies I remember reading that the Sea of Galilee is the only body of water where four different weather patterns can converge simultaneously. This weather phenomenon can produce severe storms. Storms that come on very quickly. Storms that can sink even the sturdiest of boats.
In all three of the calming of the storm accounts, the disciples are amazed at Jesus’ supernatural power, because only God can make the winds and water obey. If Jesus can calm a furious storm on the Sea of Galilee with one word, He can calm the storms of life, or calm us in that storm, as well.
The Synoptic Gospels parellel one another, whereas John’s gospel is largely distinct from the other three. John’s gospel is not inferior to the other three, but rather, simply written differently. John puts much focus on Jesus’ miracles as a way to point to His divinity.
So, today, whether the storm you face is the Perfect Storm or simply a quick moving thunderstorm, take shelter in Jesus. Don’t lose hope. Instead, cling to Jesus, and trust completely that unlike the captain and crew of that fishing vessel who have never been found, God never loses sight of you and He promises to be your anchor and your shelter in the storm.
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