Feb 27, 2023

Paralyzed. Unable to breathe. Lying on the floor. The news was devastating. I thought my life was over. What is life without my children? The fear of losing them in a custody battle had overcome me and I was having a panic attack. The only thing that pulled me out of the depths of despair was hope—hope that this was not the end, hope that the Lord was with me and that with Him all things are possible. With this hope came peace. The sort of peace that can only come from Jesus Christ. 

In Mark 4, Christ and some of His followers were dealing with a different kind of storm. The men on the ship all believed they would perish, but the Lord responded, “Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?”¹ Faith will always win over fear if we let it. It is our choice.

Stilling the Storm by Ted Henninger, ChurchofJesusChrist.org

Wilford Woodruff knew this more than anyone. He wrote in his journal on February 13, 1846,

I never saw so gloomy a time at sea on board of a ship in the midst of a hurricane, the raging billows pouring out their fury upon us, everything stiffening up with cold and frost, no one knowing what's next. The yards would be blown away or a mast go by the board or the ship spring a leak or founder and go to the bottom. It was amid these reflections late in the evening that I stood on deck and gazed late in the evening upon the wild and dismal appearance that surrounded me and raised a secret prayer to my Heavenly Father to protect us, then with calmness and composure retired to my bunk, leaving all in the hands of God.² 

No matter the storm in our life, He is the one that can say, “Peace, be still.”³ We just have to have faith in Him.

— Lexie Rynearson Bailey, Communications Director