Jesus Calms the Storm

Have you ever been scared of a big storm? Jesus' friends once got caught in a storm so wild, they thought their boat would sink.

It had been a very busy day. Jesus had been teaching crowds of people beside a big lake called the Sea of Galilee. So many people came that Jesus climbed into a boat, sat down, and taught them from the water. He told stories about seeds, like the tiny mustard seed that grows into a big plant, so big that birds can rest in its shade. When evening came, Jesus said to his friends, "Let's go over to the other side."

So they left the crowd behind and set off across the lake, with Jesus in the boat. A few other little boats came along too. The sun went down. Little waves went lap, lap, lap against the boat. Jesus was tired. He went to the back of the boat, laid his head on a cushion, and fell fast asleep.

Then, all of a sudden, the wind began to blow.

Whoosh! The wind howled. The waves grew bigger, and bigger, and bigger. Splash! A wave crashed over the side, and then another, and the boat began to fill up with water. The boat tipped this way, and that way. Everyone was soaking wet. Some of Jesus' friends were fishermen. They had sailed on that lake many, many times. But even they were scared.

And where was Jesus? Still asleep! Snoozing on his cushion, right in the middle of the storm. His friends shook him awake. Teacher, they cried, don't you care? We're going to sink! Jesus woke up, and he told the wind to stop. Then he said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!"

And just like that, the wind stopped. No more howling. No more splashing. The waves lay down flat, as gentle as a sleeping puppy. The Bible says there was a great calm.

One moment, a roaring storm. The next moment, quiet. Just the soft drip, drip, drip of water from their wet clothes.

Jesus looked at his friends and said, "Why are you so afraid?" He wanted them to trust him. Even in the storm, he had been right there with them the whole time. His friends stared at him with wide eyes. They said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"

Do you know the answer? It's Jesus, God's own Son. The one who made the wind and the waves. The wind listens to him. The waves listen to him. And he always cares about his friends. Then they sailed on, safe and sound, all the way to the other side, just as Jesus had said.

Sometimes we have storms too. Not always wind and rain. Sometimes it's a scary dream, or a sad day, or a worried feeling inside. In every storm, big or small, Jesus is right there with us, and he is stronger than anything that scares us.

This story teaches us that Jesus is always with us, and we can trust him, even when we are afraid.