Walking on Water

**This was originally written in July 2009



So, ever since VBS this past June the story of Peter walking on the water has been on my mind.
It's a story, if you've spent anytime at all in church, you grow up hearing about. I mean it is amazing. Jesus walking on the water and Peter jumping out of the boat to go and meet him. Peter taking his eyes off of Jesus and starting to drown and Jesus pulling him up. That's a great story, and what makes it even better is it's true!
What struck me last month and that I just can't get my mind off of, is this thought:
The whole time, Jesus could have calmed the storm. In fact He did, but not until later after He and Peter got back into the boat.
Peter jumped out in the middle of the storm, just to get to Jesus. And, Jesus was walking to him, and encouraging him to come, even though the storm was raging all around.
I find in my life, so often I want Jesus to calm the storm for me. My attitude is, sure I'll walk to you with you, just make it peaceful. You can do it, I know you can-I've seen you do it!
But, just like Peter, I need to walk through the storm. And just like Peter, I'm not alone in the storm. Jesus was always with him, Peter just lost sight of the one he jumped out to follow.
Yes, I believe He can (and often does) calm the storm, but oh how much more my faith grows as I walk through it instead. Sometimes, like Peter, I begin sinking. I start looking around and it scares me. After all, the waves want to consume me, the wind wants to blow me down. ( I hope you can stay with me, I know that is a lot of metaphors)
But, Jesus bids me to come. He doesn't promise to stop the storm, only that He'll be there in it with me.
So, just like Peter, I don't want to wait for it to be calm before I follow. I want to jump out of the safety of my boat and do something I could never do without faith in the One walking through the storm, right along with me.