“But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?””
Mark 4:38 NKJV
Because I travel for my job, I have slept in countless hotels. Inevitably, I have certain hotels that are my favorites, and often one of the main factors is the sleeping experience. When I sleep, I love to have great pillows. If I stay in a hotel with only one or two pillows, and those pillows aren’t even comfortable, then that hotel brand will rarely get visited again. Pillows make the difference for me, and as we read this passage they should make the difference for all of us.
During this trip on the sea, the disciples and Jesus encountered a terrible storm. Winds and waves beat against their boat, threatening to sink it. While the disciples were panicking, Jesus was calmly sleeping on a pillow. This account is a wonderful analogy for our lives. We encounter storms that beat on us very often in life. And many of us resort to panicking as a response. But if we are to truly be more like Jesus, then we need to take His example and live by it. In the midst of the storms we can sleep peacefully, for we know that He will take care of us through it all.
So whether you’re in the middle of a storm, just coming out of one, or headed into one, find your pillow. And rest quietly. Because God’s got this.