This little snippet of a larger story comes in the middle of a storm that has caught the ship the Apostle Paul is on as he is being transferred from Jerusalem to Rome. The storm story fills most of this chapter in the book of Acts. In this little scene, we see Paul encouraging the crew and passengers (276 people!) not to lose hope or heart. The storm — likely a hurricane — had been driving the ship for two weeks.
Storms can be exhausting. Natural storms — even the ones that pass quickly — seem to last forever when you are in the middle of them. Relational storms seem to go on forever. Physical storms, emotional storms, financial storms, even storms like a global pandemic called COVID-19 feel as if there is no end in sight sometimes. And it is easy to lose hope, to want to give up, to surrender.
Paul sensed that in his fellow travelers, and re-centered their hope — not in nautical skills or meteorological forecasts — but in God.
At my writing, we have been in this “storm" of shelter in place for over four weeks, and none of us know when the end of this highly unusual storm will come.
But it will come.
In the meantime, take Paul’s advice — take some food for yourself. Not the “quarantine 15” kind of food, but the spiritual nourishment that comes from spending time with Jesus. Keep Christ central to your life!