Young Nicholas said, “I’ve been in storms before. The only thing you can do is make for the nearest port and wait it out.”
“We can pray,” said his uncle once again, this time opening his eyes and staring at him.
Young Nicholas replied, “Yes, we can pray, but what will it do to pray if God will not still the storm?”
Old Nicholas said, “If he will not still the storm on the sea, he will still the storm in our hearts.”
Young Nicholas said nothing. He wasn’t like Christus who could rebuke the wind and the waves with a word. God would do what he was going to do. He waited for his uncle to pray, but old Nicholas just closed his eyes. Young Nicholas finally said, “Your prayer is more effective than mine, because I’ve prayed in storms before and nothing happened.”
His uncle said, “Would you, please?”
“Very well,” said Nicholas. He muttered a barely audible prayer, saying “Your will be done in the storm.”
“Are you asking that the storm carry on?” interrupted his uncle.
“No,” said Nicholas. He added, “I ask that it end... If it be your will.”
His uncle leaned his head back against the bulwark and took a deep breath. The rocking of the ship and the hissing of the rain continued as before. Nicholas asked, “Are you all right?”
“Yes. Sick to my stomach, but at peace in my heart.”
Young Nicholas sighed. He sank down next to his uncle and closed his eyes. After some time, he noticed the sound of the rain had stilled to a whisper. The waves seemed to be letting up as well. At first he thought his mind was playing tricks on him, but the waves continued to improve. Still, he knew that storms could ease off only to pick up with greater fury later. His uncle said nothing.
After an hour passed, the captain came down to say, “A very strange storm indeed. I expected it to carry on until midnight, but the storm has blown through almost as quick as it came. In a little while, you should all be able to come up on deck. We should make it to port in Egypt in a few hours.”
As the captain left, Nicholas’ uncle smiled at him. Nicholas made a puzzled frown. The whole thing confused him. He said, “We still are delayed.”
“But the storm is stilled.”
“But why would God do that? It means nothing to anyone around us. They don’t know that I prayed.”
“But you know,” said his uncle.
“You mean he stilled the storm just for me?”
“Perhaps... The Lord Iesus said that we should always pray and never give up.”
“We can pray,” said his uncle once again, this time opening his eyes and staring at him.
Young Nicholas replied, “Yes, we can pray, but what will it do to pray if God will not still the storm?”
Old Nicholas said, “If he will not still the storm on the sea, he will still the storm in our hearts.”
Young Nicholas said nothing. He wasn’t like Christus who could rebuke the wind and the waves with a word. God would do what he was going to do. He waited for his uncle to pray, but old Nicholas just closed his eyes. Young Nicholas finally said, “Your prayer is more effective than mine, because I’ve prayed in storms before and nothing happened.”
His uncle said, “Would you, please?”
“Very well,” said Nicholas. He muttered a barely audible prayer, saying “Your will be done in the storm.”
“Are you asking that the storm carry on?” interrupted his uncle.
“No,” said Nicholas. He added, “I ask that it end... If it be your will.”
His uncle leaned his head back against the bulwark and took a deep breath. The rocking of the ship and the hissing of the rain continued as before. Nicholas asked, “Are you all right?”
“Yes. Sick to my stomach, but at peace in my heart.”
Young Nicholas sighed. He sank down next to his uncle and closed his eyes. After some time, he noticed the sound of the rain had stilled to a whisper. The waves seemed to be letting up as well. At first he thought his mind was playing tricks on him, but the waves continued to improve. Still, he knew that storms could ease off only to pick up with greater fury later. His uncle said nothing.
After an hour passed, the captain came down to say, “A very strange storm indeed. I expected it to carry on until midnight, but the storm has blown through almost as quick as it came. In a little while, you should all be able to come up on deck. We should make it to port in Egypt in a few hours.”
As the captain left, Nicholas’ uncle smiled at him. Nicholas made a puzzled frown. The whole thing confused him. He said, “We still are delayed.”
“But the storm is stilled.”
“But why would God do that? It means nothing to anyone around us. They don’t know that I prayed.”
“But you know,” said his uncle.
“You mean he stilled the storm just for me?”
“Perhaps... The Lord Iesus said that we should always pray and never give up.”
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