On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” – Mark 4:35-41
This is one of my son’s favorite bible stories. I’m not sure how it became his favorite but loves the picture in his children’s bible and begs me to read it to him often. As we read, I often pause and let him finish the sentences. Nothing makes me happier than hearing my almost 3-year-old confidently quote scripture.
It usually goes something like this. “One day, Jesus and his friends were out on a boat. While Jesus was asleep, a big storm came, and Jesus’ friends were… ‘Scared.’ Jesus’ friends woke him up, and Jesus told the storm… ‘To be quiet!’, and there was a… ‘Great calm.’ Even the storm… ‘Listened to Jesus.’
As I read this story aloud with my son, he and I remind one another that when we’re scared, we can run to Jesus, who will cause a great calm to overcome the storms in our life. Everything listens to Jesus. Sometimes we just need to be quiet and listen.