Safe in the Storm: Mark 4:35-41
For the past six years, I’ve been the solo breadwinner in our family. That responsibility has weighed heavily on me at times. There have been periods when things have felt frighteningly uncertain, when I worried how we could possibly get through the month. But, keeping faith, we’ve always survived.
It wasn’t just the normal pressures of work or providing for a household either. During those years we’ve ALL weathered some huge storms collectively, Covid, Brexit, and the Cost of Living Crisis to name a few. Each one has brought its own challenges, its own fears, and its own concerns. I’ve also seen markets come and go for products and services I have built, so I’ve had to innovate and re-invent my business on a number of occasions. There has been nights when sleep hasn’t come easily (yes, we’ve suffered our way through chronic insomnia in our house), and days when the pressure has sat heavily, like a weighted vest, and I’ve struggled to breathe through many panic attacks.
My Anchor
In the midst of it all, one passage of Scripture became my anchor… Mark 4:35–41, the story of Jesus calming the storm.
Every time I’ve drawn to it, I could relate to the desperate, terrified disciples in that boat that night. I’ve felt battered by the unpredictable waves & high winds, anxious about what might happen, and desperate to find safety and peace.
And yet, there’s always this image in my mind of Jesus, asleep in the boat. The storm not rattling Him one iota. When the disciples were panicking for dear mercy, He rises, speaks one word “Quiet.”, then two more words “Be still.” and then everything is calmed instantly.
What struck me was this… the disciples were never actually in danger, because Jesus was in the boat with them. Their fear was real, but their safety was never in doubt.
That belief has carried me through some of my most uncertain moments of being a solopreneur. Even when the next source of income has been completely unknown, when fear has replaced faith, I’ve kept coming back to the line that has always reassured me: Jesus is in the boat.
…and then I breathe…
Coaching Through Storms
But this perspective hasn’t just been something I’ve held only to myself. I’ve also brought this to my coaching clients, many of whom are going through different levels of burnout and have faced many of their own huge storms… staff salaries, employee families, staff issues, talent attraction and retention, brand reputation, supply chain issues, changes in government, demands from investors, law suits, constant pressure… pressure… pressure…
And on top of that, there’s also the personal issues, health issues, financial issues, social issues, existential issues... Modern Life is relentless!
Time and again, I’ve seen how this powerful visualisation of Jesus in the boat brings perspective and comfort (to me & those I share it with). Life doesn’t suddenly become easy, but when you realise Jesus is in your boat, things shift. Fear subsides, anxiety eases, and peace arises.
Storms change things. In the case of the high winds we’ve experienced this year, we’ve had trees down and fences blow over, but that’s given all of us opportunities to repair them and make preparations in anticipation of the next storm.
Throughout these past six years I’ve learned so much and grown enormously in my business, including gaining several meaningful skills and qualifications, such as becoming the first Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach in Northern Ireland. I’ve also certified as a Cognitive Behaviour Coach, an Acceptance & Commitment coach and CBT-i - the primary treatment for insomnia, yes, I can help fix your broken sleep and stop you from overthinking at 3am!
Forever Safe
Looking back over the last six years, it’s certainly been tough, for all of us, but it’s also been incredibly worthwhile in so many ways. For our family, it’s been the opportunity to give our children what we’ve considered their best possible start. Despite the fears, sleepless nights, and more than a few moments of anxiety, anger and frustration, I can say this with confidence: we’ve never felt abandoned or unsafe. Not once.
The storms keep coming, often bigger and faster than the one before, but my heart has learned to rest in this unshakable truth: I’m always safe with Jesus.
And if you’re in a storm right now, I pray you’ll know that too. You may feel like the giant waves are crashing in on top of you, but remember you are not alone. Jesus is in the boat with you. And that always makes all the difference.
Jonny Bloomfield (Stormont HUB Leader)
