“The disciples went and woke him (Jesus), saying, ‘Master, Master, we’re going to drown!’
     He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 
     ‘Where is your faith?’ he asked his disciples.
     In fear and amazement they asked one another, ‘Who is this? He commands even the winds and 
     and the water, and they obey him.'” Luke 8:24, 25 NIV

     The ocean waves rolled in amidst the stormy sky. I breathed deeply of the cool, fresh sea air. The gentle breeze ruffled my hair, and every inch of my body sensed the freedom coursing through my veins.
     Strolling the beach with two dear friends, my cares were pulled away by the receding tide. We enjoyed the laughter of girl talk, the freedom of time without constraints, and the memories of years gone by. We basked in the beauty of His creation filled with love for us.
     However, less than 24 hours earlier, a ferocious, fear-gripping storm had raged in my life. Driving our van on the wind-blasted highway, I clung tensely to the steering wheel endeavoring to keep the car in my lane.
Work had already created stressful moments to dismantle my strength, and lack of sleep just piled on the tension.
     As I pulled into an economy parking lot at the airport, pain gripped my chest. And the worry escalated off the charts. I called Hubby who was nearly 100 miles away and his concern rose as well. We mapped out a plan but as I climbed aboard the white airport shuttle, my pain began to ease. As my purse passed through the security screen, my cell phone began singing. “Just let it ring,” I thought. “I’ll figure out who called later.”
     Three well-chewed aspirins later, I discovered that a longtime friend, who was a Christian, had called me. And she was a nurse. We do not talk on a regular basis so I knew the call was prompted by the Lord. She reassured me that I was all right to continue on to California.
     Peace of mind and a calmed storm were two of the gifts the Lord gave me on this trip. And once inside the plane, there was a flag bearing the seal of the state of Florida. The seal said, “In God We Trust.”
     I knew the Lord was on board with me calming my fears and quieting the storm.

     “Where have you found the Lord, recently, calming the storms in your life?

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