[Journey with Jesus – Day 15]
One thing I noticed about Jesus was that he always prioritised time alone to be with his Father. One time, just after he’d fed all those people with the loaves and fishes, he sent us out on the boat and said he’d join us later. So, we bid farewell and we headed out on the boat across the lake back to Capernaum. It should have been a short trip up the lake along the shore line, but it wasn’t. The wind whipped up and blew us way off course. The sail was useless in that wind, so we had to row. It was almost impossible; the waters were raging around us. When we’d rowed three or four miles it felt like we’d got nowhere, and we were beginning to get frightened. Then we saw this figure coming towards us – we thought it was a ghost. We were really frightened then!
Then a voice spoke out of the midst of the roar of the wind. “It’s me. Don’t be afraid.”. I couldn’t believe my eyes or ears. It was Jesus. Walking on the water.
I have no idea to this day what on earth possessed me to say and do what I did next. “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come out to you on water.”
“Ok,” he replied.
And then, without thinking, idiot that I am, I stepped out of the boat and walked towards Jesus on the water. “I’m walking on the water,” I thought to myself, and then, “I’m walking – on the – ” and then, I looked down. Oops! Next thing I knew I fell in, panicked horribly and thankfully, felt a a firm grip on my flailing arm as Jesus pulled me up out of the water and helped me into the boat.
“Why did you have so little faith?” he asked, as he got into the boat beside me. Suddenly the lake was calm again and I realised we’d reached Capernaum.
I walked on water – just a few steps, mind you, but I realise now that, if only, I’d kept my eyes fixed on him, who knows how many more steps I could have made?
Halwill Publishing 