When I was dismissed from my previous place of work, I was devastated. For a moment, I thought the storm of pain and misfortune would never end. However, even with the little faith I had left, God showed up in pray after a while and hushed the storm in my mind, heart, and soul. I woke up one morning, looked out the window, and even though the sun rises every day, the warmth of the sun felt different that day. It felt healing and restorative and not oppressive. It felt as if I had walked out of a dark cave and was finally free. Just as the sun can not be contained and the sea can not be held back by a simple door, storms do not last forever, and nothing can stop me from living my best life. God loves us too much to leave us in despair.

In the first reading, the Lord spoke to Job in the storm of his life and reminded him that there is a limit and an end to every storm; the darkness has a purpose. Job held on to his faith. The readings today remind us to focus on Jesus in the storms of our lives and not the ferocity or nature of the storm. We only need a little faith, and our Lord will hush the storm to a gentle breeze, especially when we are tired and terrified.

When we feel cornered by the storms in our life, may we hear God say, “be still, I am here. The storm will pass.” When we are faced with big decisions and we feel a storm brewing in our souls, may we hear God say, “Let us cross to the other side together.” Sometimes we may find ourselves saying, “Lord, do you not care that my loved one is ill? that I am ill? that I have lost more than I can bear? That the world is hurting?” Maybe our deep focus on those storms causes us to throw our hands up or maybe even hold on too tightly to everything except the outstretched hand of Jesus.

Turn your attention to Jesus who has heard your call. Let us take his hand and let him lead us through the storms that show up in our lives. Have faith, even a little is sufficient to help us stay quiet and still in the storm while the one whom the wind and sea obey calms the storm and makes way for new and beautiful things in our lives.

Lord, help me see your outstretched hand in the storm and please do not let me lose sight of you.