I have a confession to make. I have an app on my phone counting down the days until my wife and I take our first vacation of 2022, and I can’t stop checking it. Full disclosure: I have never been more ready and in need of a vacation.

Honestly, I’m just hoping our vacation this year is less chaotic than our trip last year when we decided to take our very first cruise. That was an experience I won’t soon forget. Three days after leaving the port of Galveston, the captain of the ship did an all-call over the sound system informing us that we would be heading off course to get out of the way of a newly-formed hurricane in the Gulf by the name of — wait for it — Hurricane Grace. Well, the good news is that we may have gotten out of Grace’s path, but the swells from Grace had not calmed down when we got back on our course. Grace wouldn’t let us escape. In fact, many of the bands from the hurricane wrapped far beyond the eye of the storm, and my wife and I sat in awe as the boat rocked back and forth and the wind and waves pounded the boat. I’ll never forget the rocking and the anxiety that came from waiting out that storm.

Reminds me of a story attributed to author and poet Robert Louis Stevenson, who was traveling on a ship in a similar situation. As the passengers began to worry and fear the storm was going to sink the ship, Stevenson volunteered to go up to the captain’s deck and find out what was really going on. He ran into the assistant captain and shared his concerns. The assistant captain smiled and said, “Here’s what the captain would have you know: One, you can go to sleep. He will be staying up all night making sure we get to where we are supposed to be. Two, this ship was built with this storm in mind. I know the storm looks bad, but this ship was built precisely for storms like this one. This storm did not catch us by surprise, and though it’s inconvenient, a little scary, difficult and wasn’t expected, you can go to sleep because this boat can handle the storm.”

Friends, I don’t know what rough waters you may be experiencing today, but let me give you some good news: You can sleep soundly because the Lord is not sleeping through your storm. In fact, I believe He has orchestrated your life in such a way that you can withstand whatever trials and hardships you experience. How do I know? I love the way The Message version translates 1 Corinthians 10:13:

No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; He'll never let you be pushed past your limit; He'll always be there to help you come through it.

Here’s the good news awaiting us all today: Rest easy. God’s on deck!

— Mark