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.