By Danny Minton

While browsing through some old emails, I came across the following story, which was sent to me over twenty years ago. I’m unsure who the original author was, but I found at least three versions online. It’s old, but the thoughts it provokes are still as fresh today as years ago.

“Years ago, a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands, but most people were reluctant to work on farms so close to the ocean. They dreaded the awful storms that raged, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops.

Finally, a short, thin man well past middle age approached the farmer, wanting the job. The farmer asked, ‘Are you a good farmhand?’

The man answered, ‘Well, I can sleep when the wind blows.’ Although puzzled by his answer, the farmer was desperate for help and hired him on the spot. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk. The farmer was well satisfied with his work.

Then, one night, the wind howled loudly, and the rain began to pour. The farmer jumped out of bed, grabbed a lantern, and rushed to the hired hand’s sleeping quarters. He shook the man and yelled, ‘Get up! There’s a storm coming! We must tie things down before they blow away!’ The little man opened his eyes and said, ‘’No, sir. I told you before you hired me. I can sleep when the wind blows.’ And promptly fell back to sleep.

Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that the haystacks had all been covered with tarps. The cows and horses were secure in the barn. The chickens were safe in their coops. The doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was fine. Nothing could blow away or be damaged!

The farmer then realized what the hired hand had meant. He returned to his bed and slept soundly while the wind blew.”

Have you ever found yourself waking in the middle of the night with worried thoughts on your mind? Maybe the problem concerns finances or relationships. It could be our thoughts about our children or something we know we must do the next day, but we dread doing it. We lie in the dark with thoughts racing through our heads, tossing and turning, trying to think of something else, anything that will clear our minds and let us return to our restful sleep.

I’ve been in that world of sleepless nights many times. In fact, I visited there last night around 2:00, trying to figure out what I would write about this week. Then I came across the story above, and it reminded me how unnecessary my sleepless thoughts were, and that there was someone on my side who told me to learn to sleep when the winds blow.

I’m reminded of the story in Matthew 8, where Jesus and his disciples are crossing the Sea of Galilee, and a storm arises. Even while the boat is tossed about and the disciples are desperately working to keep it afloat, Jesus, we are told, is below, fast asleep. “The disciples woke him, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!’  He replied, ‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. ²⁷ The men were amazed and asked, ‘What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!’ Matthew 8:25-27 (NIV2011)

Many times, in the middle of the night, after I have tossed about trying to sleep with concerning thoughts on my mind, I find myself praying, “Okay, God, I need to leave this in your hands.” It always seems, without fail, that I can then clear my mind and rest again. Knowing that I have handed my problems over to Him helps me to sleep as the winds of worry blow in my mind.

Jesus tells his listeners in Matthew 6 not to worry about things. He tells us that God knows our needs and wants. He knows the problems we face, the ups and downs of what it means to face the daily challenges. He cares for all his creation, but most importantly, he cares for each of us, those men and women created “in His image.”
“So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”  Matthew 6:34 (NASB) In other words, knowing God can care for things in our lives, “we can sleep while the wind blows.”

Danny Minton is a former Elder and minister at Southern Hills Church of Christ