Leaving the Waves Behind
The day before we were scheduled to fly home from our Hawaii, I began the morning on our private balcony overlooking the ocean. The sun had just taken its place in the cloudless sky and the birds were shouting praises to the Artist of the Dawn. Coffee cup in hand, I watched the rhythmic waves roll in, and I thought of Peter.
I pictured him, brash and bold, stepping out of the old fishing boat, his toes curling in surprise at the cold waters on which he stood.
“Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”
“Yes, come,” Jesus said. Matthew 14:28–29a
I have longed for faith to walk on the waves, for courage that moves me from boat to barefoot wonder as the whitecaps tickle my toes and my Savior’s eyes dance with glee.
“So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.” Matthew 14:29b
As the soothing roar of the ocean echoed in my ear, I opened God’s Word and asked for Peter’s courage. What would that look like in this mom’s meager life? In the midst of laundry and sandbox play, soccer practice and grocery shopping, how does one walk on water?
“One step at a time,” a quiet voice responded. “Twenty–four–hours a day.”
And then I opened my devotion book and read the words of Oswald Chambers:
“Discipleship is built entirely on the supernatural grace of God. Walking on the water is easy to impulsive luck, but walking on dry land as a disciple of Jesus is a different thing. Peter walked on the water to go to Jesus, but he followed Him afar off on the land. We do not need the grace of God to stand crises, human nature and pride are sufficient, we can face the strain magnificently; but it does require the supernatural grace of God to live twenty-four hours in every day as a saint, go to through drudgery as a disciple, to live an ordinary, unobserved, ignored existence as the disciple of Jesus. It is inbred in us that we have to do exceptional things for God; but we have not. We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things…” His Utmost for My Highest, October 21, 2010
“It sounds more fun to walk on water,” I confessed to the Maker of the tropical red bird who had just joined me on the balcony.
“Leave the waves behind,” He beckoned. “Follow me home.”
Home-where five needy children wait, where laundry piles multiply overnight, where homework hassles demand resolve, where teething babies cry for comfort, where messy fingers leave prints on windows.
Home–where the supernatural grace of God invites me to step out of my boat of selfishness and follow His lead twenty–four hours a day. I may ride a wave or two in this brief lifetime, but more likely, I’ll just keep trodding over dust and dirt. I’ll just keep putting one foot in front of another until my Savior’s footprints lead me straight to the throne room of God. When I get there, I’ll be looking for Peter.
The Overflow: “Come, follow me,” Jesus said…” -Matthew 4:19
