Diana Derringer

Storms occur at sea and in our lives.

When we batten down the hatches, we prepare for those storms. We see trouble coming and hard times ahead, so we get ready.

A hatch or hatchway is an opening in a ship’s deck. The ship’s crew covers the hatch when they expect bad weather. Storms at sea can destroy ships and the people on them. Sealing the hatch provides extra protection.

When we expect life problems, we also want to do what we can to protect against them.

Some storms do little damage.

• Families may say, “Batten down the hatches. Aunt Mina’s kids are coming.” (I don’t have an Aunt Mina.)
• Businesses may say, “Batten down the hatches. We expect poor sales next month.”
• Governments may say, “Batten down the hatches. This decision will make some people mad.”

Some storms destroy.

• Families may say, “Batten down the hatches. Dad’s drinking and threatening Mom.” (My dad did not drink and never threatened my mom.)
• Businesses may say, “Batten down the hatches. We may have to close if sales get any worse.”
• Governments may say, “Batten down the hatches. This decision may lead to war.”

Some storms we can prevent. Some we cannot.

We don’t always know when storms are coming. Therefore, we need to stay prepared as much as we can all the time. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

If we cannot prevent storms, we try to survive them. We hang on for dear life to what matters most.

“I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm” (Psalm 55:8 NIV).

Thanks to Carole Fite for the suggestion.

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Photo courtesy of Pixabay.