SLEEPING THROUGH A STORM

The following article was used by a blog writer. We do not know if it is a real story or one told like a parable. Either way, there is something important to learn here. I hope you enjoy it.

A young man applied for a summer job as a farmhand. After asking him about his experience in working on a farm, the farmer then asked, “Is there anything you can do?” The young man looked at him and said, “Yes, I can sleep through any storm.” The farmer laughed… but he liked the young man so he hired him.

A few weeks later, the farmer and his wife were awakened in the middle of the night by a violent storm that came ripping through their valley. He and his wife jumped out of bed, grabbed their clothes, and got dressed. The farmer went running to wake up his new hired hand, but the young man was sleeping so soundly he didn’t hear a thing. The farmer didn’t have time to fool with the young fellow, so he and his wife scurried around, checking to see if everything was secure.

That’s when they discovered that the shutters of the farmhouse had been securely fastened. A good supply of logs had been set next to the fireplace. When they inspected their property, they found that the farm tools had been placed in the storage shed, safe from the elements. They saw that bales of hay to feed the animals had been covered with a tarpaulin that was anchored to the ground with large rocks. The tractor had been moved into its garage. The barn was properly locked tight. Even the animals were calm and had plenty of feed. All was well.

The farmer then understood the meaning of the young man’s words, “I can sleep through a storm.”

Because the farmhand did his work correctly and faithfully when the skies were clear, he was prepared for any storm. So when the storm did actually come, he was not concerned or afraid. He could sleep in peace.

So what is the moral of this story? Rick, the writer of the blog, made this observation:

If we tend to the things that are important in life, if we are right with those we love and behave in line with our faith, our lives will not be cursed with the aching throb of unfulfilled business; our words will always be sincere, our embraces will be tight. We will never wallow in the agony of “I could have, I should have.” We can sleep in a storm. And when it’s our time to go, our goodbyes will be said with satisfaction.

The Bible is very vocal about being prepared for what’s coming. We are told that Noah took God’s warning seriously and out of reverence and respect built the ark years ahead of time that would help save him and his family from the devastating flood.¹ And Jesus told a story about ten young girls who were invited to be in a wedding, and what happened to those who prepared and those who did not.² And then our Lord warned everyone, “Therefore, you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”³

You start getting ready as soon as you hear that the storm is on its way, not when you see the dark clouds gathering in the sky. Who goes out when the winds are already at 50 mph to prepare their house for a hurricane? Or who begins to move things to the second floor when the water is already lapping at their doorstep? God’s Word contains a checklist of things we can do to be prepared for the persecution that will come in the last days, make sure you have them all checked off so you can sleep through the storm.⁴ The key to it all is found in these words by our Master, “Those who faithfully perform to the end the duties they were given will be saved.”⁵ – Dr. Robert R Seyda.