Beautiful words in the midst of a difficult situation
The water was foaming, the winds were howling, and
the boat was buffeted by the waves. They were far from
land and had little hope. The disciples were filled with
fear… which was only amplified when they saw a shape
moving across the lake! They were filled with fear but
Jesus spoke words of hope, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t
be afraid” (Matthew 14:27). What beautiful words in the
midst of a difficult, almost hopeless situation. Even
when things were tough Jesus gave them hope. Be
courageous! Don’t be scared! I am here with you.
The story continues that Peter asks to walk out to
Jesus, and Jesus bids him to come. And Peter steps out
on the waves… and walks! Only two people ever
walked on water: Jesus, and Peter. Typically we look at
this story and see the doubt: Peter begins to doubt and
starts to sink. Yet think of how beautiful it is… Peter
was willing to step out in the midst of the storm and did
something impossible, even amazing… until he took his
eyes off of Jesus and started to sink.
I have loved watching our kids walk with Jesus this
week. They have learned incredible lessons about faith.
They have watched hilarious skits that remind them to
trust in the Lord. Every part of VBS, from the crafts to
the games and the food to the fun, has been geared
towards helping our kids keep their eyes on Jesus.
It’s a message that we all need to hear, because we
live in a world filled with storms. Wars take place across
the globe. Conflicts abound, both at home and abroad.
The murders in Charleston unite us in sorrow and spark
an even deeper discussion about racism, hatred, and
forgiveness. At times we feel buffeted by the storms and
knocked around, far from hope. But when we keep our
eyes on Jesus we can weather any storm. We can walk
on water. We can do great things for God.
Thanks to our children for reminding us of this all
throughout the week! Jesus does amazing things by the
sea… and he calls us to do the same! We serve an
amazing God, one who tells us to be courageous because
he is with us.