I can picture it in my mind. A calm sea. It’s beautiful, breathtaking, and peaceful. It represents when everything in life seems to be going great. It’s a time when it’s often easy to give thanks to God. There isn’t as much skill required when life is on cruise control and things are rolling in our favor.

But the flip side is when the storm comes. Dark clouds loom overhead, the wind picks up, and the waves start splashing over the side of the boat. It’s harder to see what lies ahead and we can lose our sense of direction. We’re tossed around as the rain starts pouring down. We may be forced to learn some new skills to navigate our way forward or if we’re seasoned sailors, we can tap into the skills and expertise that we’ve gained from past experience. It’s during these times of testing that we have to work harder, draw our strength from God and trust that, with his help, we will pass through the storm. And we’ll grow in countless ways- strength, maturity, patience, persistence, perseverance, faith, our relationships and so on.Life is a balance between navigating smooth and rough seas. It’s how you and I learn to become well-rounded sailors and get molded into who it is God wants us to be. We just can’t forget that we learn some of the most valuable lessons when we’re navigating the roughest waters. And that our ability to endure life storms will be used to encourage others.