Debbie’s father was a fisherman. The family lived in a little cottage down by the sea. Debbie had never gone to Sunday school and she had never read the Bible. Until she was nine years old she had never heard about the Lord Jesus.
Then one day a little girl named Jennie came to live nearby. The two girls became the best of friends.
Late one afternoon Debbie and Jennie started on a long walk. There were so many things to see. They scrambled over the rocks and picked up the pretty shells and little sea creatures which the storm washed ashore. The sparkling waves and foam seemed specially beautiful to the two young friends as they strolled along the beach.
“How wonderful it all is!” exclaimed Jennie. “Do you think the sea that Jesus walked on was like this?”
“What sea was that?” asked Debbie.
“The Sea of Galilee, I think,” replied Jennie. “He walked on the water in a storm and said to the wild waves, ‘Peace, be still!’ and it was calm right away.”
“But how could He make it quiet?” asked Debbie. “No one could do that.”
“Oh yes, He could!” said Jennie emphatically. “He is God! He can do everything, and...”
But before she could say another word, Debbie jumped up.
“Jennie,” she exclaimed, “the water is coming in so fast. We shall never reach the gap before it covers the sands.”
Closer and closer came the tide. One more minute and it would be too late.
Just then the girls spied a boat drawn up on the sand. The Lord had provided a way of safety for them.
The girls stepped into the boat and watched the water swirl and dash around them. At last Jennie spoke.
“Debbie,” she said, “don’t you think we should thank the Lord Jesus for saving us?”
“He didn’t save us,” answered Debbie; “He wasn’t even here.”
“Oh, Debbie,” explained Jennie, “don’t you know, He’s always here? He hears every word we say and He knows everything we do. Shall I tell you about Him?” And without waiting for an answer, Jennie began telling Debbie how the Lord Jesus came down from heaven as a little babe in the manger. When He became a Man He went about doing good, healing the sick, making the blind to see and the deaf people to hear. He even raised dead people to life again.
Then Jennie went on to tell about the shameful crown of thorns they made Him wear, and how they nailed Him on a wooden cross on which He died, all because He loved us and died for our sins.
When Jennie finished her story, she saw the tears rolling down Debbie’s cheeks.
“Oh, Jennie,” she asked, “was it for me He died?”
“Of course; it was for you, as much as for me, Debbie,” explained Jennie. “Now He says, ‘Come unto Me and believe that I died for you.”
“I do believe it,” said little Debbie, “but it seems too wonderful to be true. How could He die for the likes of me?”
For many weary hours the girls sat in the boat. Night came on so that the wind and waves tossed the little boat about.
“Let’s ask the Lord to send someone,” said Jennie at last. Getting down on their knees the two girls prayed to their Father to send someone to help. And He who hears and answers prayer heard and directed a boat which had been searching for them. They were rescued and were soon home and in their beds.
Debbie never forgot that night on the wild sea. When she grew up and had little ones of her own she often told them this story. But she always would finish with these words: “Yes, children, we can praise the Lord for that storm. He took that way to speak to my troubled heart, and bring me in peace to Himself.”
ML-08/26/1979