Come on in, the water's fine!

http://usccb.org/bible/readings/081014.cfm

I knew it was coming - reflections on the Sunday readings and Peter's excursion out of the boat.  I just wasn't counting on the circumstances which prompted this post.  Somewhere between 11:15 and 11:30 PM, the Heavens opened and wind, rain, thunder, lightning, and even a little hail came crashing down.  Not being a particular fan of storms, I wasn't sure of the best response.  Sleep was out of the question, and my plan consisted of Holy Water :)  Then, it was wait and see.  Not much to be done about a storm.  It will blow where it will and do what it wants, and I ain't gonna stop it.  I wandered from door to window, looking out front, looking out back.  All of the lights were off, but there was so much lightning I could still see.

It's a bit helpless, to have no mode of action.  My brain started reviewing my options and I remembered the Gospel from our Bible Study last night - Jesus calls Peter out of the boat, and calms the storm.  During our discussion, I had remarked that I wouldn't want to get out of the boat - hello drowning!  I had also recently used boats as a metaphor for faith in a previous post, so my line of thought was not tracking with Jesus' call to Peter.  As the storm raged all around me, I wondered how I would have responded.  I was scared inside a house, let a lone in a boat on a raging sea!  Would I have courage to step out at Jesus' call?



Our study guide talked about how Jesus' command can also be viewed as the call to a personal relationship with Christ.  Discipleship is about service, but it is also about relationship.  We cannot give what we do  not have, and we are each called to look to Christ.  All of our attention is to be focused there.  When we get distracted, scared, or discouraged, we sink.  I'm not just talking about in the water, either.  Depression, sinfulness, apathy, there are any number 'elements' that can cause us to take our eyes off of Jesus.  That's when we flail and lose ourselves in this world.  Our eyes fail to see Jesus reaching out His hand and our ears only hear the wind and thunder of the storm.

Prayer - Lord, help me to look at You and only You in my times of struggle.  Help me overcome the fears that threaten to overwhelm me.  In Your care, I am safe for, "Truly, you are the Son of God."