Peace, be still

This week in New Testament we studied some of Christ's miracles. In Mark 4 we read about the tempest while Christ and His disciples are sailing. This account can parallel our lives in more than one way. We all face storms, external and internal on and off throughout our lives. This is part of mortality, and it's something we can't avoid. But, what we can avoid is being capsized and swept away. We can choose to keep the external storms from entering in and controlling us.
In this account as the storm gets worse, the disciples are getting worried, saying "Master, carest thou not that we perish?" Jesus was peacefully sleeping in the boat, obviously having no internal storm. When the disciples go to Him, He calmly rises and says "peace, be still" and immediately, the winds and waves cease. He then turns to his disciples and says "Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?" Christ was in complete control of the situation, and He gave His disciples a valuable reminder about how important faith is in our daily lives.
There are a couple of things we can learn from this story. Most importantly, we need to remember to always invite Christ into our boat. He controls the wind and the sea, and there is no one more capable of getting us through a storm safely. Having Him there won't always stop the storms, but He will certainly make sure we are taken care of.
Also, are we going to let these storms rattle and weaken us or are we going to learn something from them? Christ is a great example of being in control and being calm in the face of adversity. We can follow that lead and ask for strength and direction to navigate ourselves into calmer waters.
I have a testimony that these storms, although they aren't always enjoyable, they are always an opportunity to grow and to trust in the Lord. I imagine life without storms and realize they are necessary for us to obtain a foundation and gain valuable skills and perspective. Heavenly Father has a divine plan for all of us, and these storms we have to face, both internal and external will help us get there.