Courage Under StressSample

Facing Stormy Seas

At the top of the “grief scale” is the experience of watching someone we love suffer and die. During those weeks or months, stress can become an all-consuming companion. Chronic illness changes family dynamics, interrupting the normal flow of life.

When loss and grief come at us in waves, we can feel powerless. Like a small vessel in a big storm, pulled by dangerous riptides and undertows, we feel swamped by the thunderous, crashing waves. Problems toss us back and forth, leaving us unsure of which way to go. However, as snorkelers and scuba divers can attest, beneath the roaring waves there is a silent and peaceful world. Storm conditions can rage overhead, but just a few feet below, everything is calm.

Jesus’ disciples feared for their lives during a raging storm at sea. When he saw their desperation he simply said, “Silence! Be still!” and the winds stopped and the waves instantly grew calm (Mark 4:39). Jesus offered that same peace to Mary and Martha as Lazarus lay in the grave. He assured them, “Your brother will rise again” (John 11:23). He empathized with the pain and loss they felt after watching their brother suffer and die.

Amy Carmichael, a famous missionary to India, spent her last fifteen years lying flat in bed due to a chronic illness. In an extremely poor country with difficult living conditions, most people would have suffered constant anxiety and stress, but not Amy. Throughout her season of pain and immobility, she chose to focus on the peace God provided and his promises to meet her needs in the midst of her trials and storms.

When facing such times, we too must take stock of God’s provision and trust him to provide what each individual family member needs in order to cope with loss. Amy’s faith made an eternal difference in the lives of tens of thousands of people, even in her final days.

Your current difficulties may not confine you to bed for years, but that doesn’t make them any less challenging. No matter the trials you face, the Lord loves you so deeply that you can actually feel at peace in the middle of the storm.