One memory that stands out with me is the night our daughter went swimming in the hotel pool. She hasn't had formal swimming lessons, but her father has worked with her often. She is only permitted in the pool with her life vest on. While she was treading in three feet of water, she was talking to her daddy as he sat in a chair on the side watching her closely. Then it happened. She suddenly started to panic. (All she really had to do was stand straight up and she would have been fine). She yelled out, "Daddy, help me." He kept trying to tell her just to kick her feet, but she couldn't get her thoughts aligned with her body. Then she said, "I need help!" Realizing that her panic and fear were real, he jumped in fully clothed - shoes, shirt, and trunks - to get her. When he picked her up out of the water, I could tell she was relieved because she had a smile on her face. I heard her say, "Daddy, I was getting scared." The entire time, I stood watching from the second floor balcony.
This whole episode reminded me of how often we have heard the sermon about Jesus walking on water and Peter doing the same...until His faith waivered. The reality is, that we are all like Peter every now and then. Our faith does waiver and the waves of life do threaten to overtake us. The key is always knowing that Jesus is there to intercede on our behalf as our "life vest" when the current gets fierce. After all, He is our Savior. Jesus sensed Peter's distress when he cried out, "Lord, save me!" because its says that "Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him."
My husband sensed our daughter's distress and immediately jumped in the water after her even though he knew his own capacity to get her out of the water would take very little effort.
As Christians, we have to have enough faith to trust God's capacity to protect us...even in the "deep waters" of life that we encounter daily.
Today's question: Are you willing to walk on water?
Matthew 14:22-33
Jesus Walks on the Water
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
29 “Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
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