One Terrifying Night at Sea

We woke to the alarming sound of a crash, or maybe even an explosion. I grabbed hold of Jeff and held on for dear life. Had we hit another ship? Could there have been an iceberg in the Gulf of Mexico? Surely not! We had made some silly cracks about the Titanic earlier that day. Were we going to live out another famous chapter in nautical history with a similar fate as that “unsinkable ship?”

We were on our way home from the stunningly gorgeous ports of Roatan, Honduras, Belize City, and Costa Maya, Mexico, and this was to be our final day at sea. The weather had been pure heaven, and this had certainly been the vacation of our dreams. Suddenly, however, it felt like Godzilla himself had picked up our ship and was shaking it like a snow globe. Our drawers were opening and slamming shut over and over. Our bathroom door kept swinging open and closed. The glasses and water bottles had all smashed, and the contents of our closet sounded like a maraca as its contents were violently jostled about.

Meanwhile, in our bed, we held each other in a steely embrace as our bed felt like a roller coaster ride. I don’t think I have ever felt anything so frightening in my life! Immediately, Jeff began praying. “Father, in the name of Jesus, we know You have all of this under control. We pray that the sea and the wind will instantly calm down and that You will breath Your peace upon us. Protect us. We trust You, and we praise You.” We began praying for the people in the ship to be at peace, especially the elderly and those with small children. We prayed for wisdom for the captain and his crew. We just began praising and thanking God.

No kidding, the ship was instantaneously still. Everything was quiet. Other than some gentle rocking of the ship from the wavy sea which had been our state for the entire night and would continue throughout the whole next day, it was as if nothing had happened. Of course, we did have some picking up to do!

This was our ship – The Norwegian Dawn

Granted, if it had been a true emergency, the captain would have alerted us, or the emergency signal would have activated. However, at breakfast, the stormy condition of the night before was the talk of the ship. We listened as families around us discussed the fearful events and what they would have done if it had been a true crisis. We heard some who described the waves coming all the way up and covering their portholes. Those must have been some monster waves! I’m glad we chose a cheaper inner room and didn’t have to see that. Whew!

During breakfast, the captain addressed the crowd. He explained that we had hit some walls of waves that were about 13 feet high, and we sustained gale force winds. That was the crash. Everything was all right, and there was nothing to fear. However, for our safety, the outside of the ship would remained closed the rest of the day. It was a bummer to not be allowed to use the chairs on the decks, but it was wonderful news to be reassured that everything was OK.

Something I learned through this tempest-filled night is that there is nowhere we can go that God does not see us and continue to uphold us with His mighty, yet gentle hands. God did not have to ask, “Where are you Sharon?” I was in the middle of the ocean on a ship, and God was right there with me! Psalm 139:7-12 reminds us of this eternal promise:

Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.

God is a good God! No matter what storm you are going through in your life, it is not hidden from God. He has you in the palm of His hands. Never forget that! He may not always answer our prayers in the way we would want Him to, but we do have this reassurance that He works everything together for our good. He is working in your situation even now, so do not lose heart. Wait on Him. Trust Him. Watch the Lord do something marvelous in your life!

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
Mark 4:35-41 NIV

See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands… Isaiah 49:16a NIV

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. John 10:28 NIV

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 NIV

Be full of hope and stay strong in your faith! God bless!