Our camping trip starts out promising. The campground is truly breathtaking. An oasis of green and peace. The trees sway in the wind all day. The river rolls into the big deep blue lake. Jake and Tom are camping in France with a large group of friends. Finally, it’s time to go out together again. Away from the daily grind and away from all the restrictions. Fold out the camping chair, a beer in your hand and relax. However, that relaxed feeling will not last long. The men have no idea of the devastating storm that is lurking around the corner.
Jake and Tom have fixed a large tent. Setting it up is a big test of their friendship. Missing poles, bent pegs. Tent fabric backwards. In short: misery. But the men don’t give up and when the tent is finally up, they toast the job done. And they are applauded by their friends who have been watching them, screaming with laughter.
Campfire
They had no idea how the next day everything would turn around at once and there would be no more laughter. That evening they sat around the campfire and the men stared into the deep dark night. A blanket of stars and a bright moon look back. They have deep conversations and make good jokes. Life is good. The next day, the men take a refreshing dip in the lake. Just to cool down. The fact that it’s starting to rain gently doesn’t bother them. The temperature is still nice. But the rain keeps coming and becomes heavier and heavier. Jake calls his friends to go back to the tent. We just need to take shelter with each other. When they arrive at their tent the water comes pouring down. Tom is fed up with it. They are only here for a few days and this is no fun at all. Fortunately the tent is big enough and they are all dry. Or so they thought.
Storm
Because the rain just won’t stop. It pours and it hurries and it doesn’t stop. The river that runs alongside their tent is becoming a swirling mass. The water gushes over the banks and gets higher and higher. The trees sway back and forth roughly. Gone is the oasis of calm. The storm is enormous. The pegs fly around their ears. Pulled up from the ground. A whole tent flies by. And then they see the river overflow its banks. The atmosphere changed completely. The water comes from all sides and the wind wants to turn the tent into a toy. All the boys try with all their might to keep the tent standing. They hang on the side. Trying to keep their sleeping bags and backpacks dry. There is no stopping them.
Jake and Tom are standing together and hanging off the back of the side. The other guys are all standing up on one corner trying to keep the tent near the ground. All the guys except one. One is just lying there sleeping. In the middle of the tent. Joshua. This trip was his idea. He wanted to go camping. He wanted to sleep in a tent. And he too had chosen this campsite. The boys are very fond of him. The leader of the group you could say. But now? Joshua is sleeping. Right through the rain and storm. How is it possible!
Wake up!
The boys yell at Joshua but he can’t be woken up. There he is lying quietly on his air mattress, in his sleeping bag, snoring loudly. Jake is furious! He runs to Joshua then and shakes him awake. “Wake up! Do something for once! You wanted to camp so bad! Look what’s happening! The tent will perish and we’ll lose everything! We’re going to drown!”
Joshua looks up in surprise. “Why are you scared? Don’t you trust that everything will be all right?” The boys get angry with Joshua. Retarded! Sure they’re scared. They don’t want to lose all their stuff but most of all they want to get hurt or worse…drown. And trust who?
Then Joshua gets up. He walks outside and speaks sternly to the wind and rain. “Quiet!” The boys can’t believe their eyes. The rain stops. The wind dies down. The sun breaks through. The churning river pulls back. Unbelievable. Tom, Jake and the other boys are completely soaked, dirty and tired. But all of us look at Joshua and have only one question: Who is this boy?”
- Have you ever experienced a storm?
- Were you scared then?
- What do you think of this story?
Unbelievable?
The story may sound a little implausible. Who could possibly make the water and wind obey? That Joshua – fair is fair – does not exist. But the story is not entirely made up. It is a free adaptation of a story from the Bible. There was no storm on the campsite there but a storm on the lake. And Tom and Jake’s names are actually Thomas and James. And then who is this Joshua? Read the story for yourself here.
Story: Storm on the Lake
Jesus got into the boat with his disciples. It began to storm violently, so that the waves smashed into the boat. But Jesus was asleep. The disciples woke Him up and cried, “Lord, save us! We are sinking!” He said to them, “Why are you afraid? How small is your faith!” He stood up and spoke sternly to the wind and the lake. And the water and the wind became completely calm. The men were dumbfounded and said, “What kind of person is He? Even the wind and the water obey Him!” Read the story here in the Bible.
Curious about Jesus? Find out more here.
- Have you ever experienced a figurative storm in your life?
- Who or what gave you footing then?
- Do you believe Jesus can give you peace in the storm?
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