Sink, Tread or Walk?

Updated: Nov 8, 2020

A man finds an open door in the middle of a storm and tsunami

Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Matthew 14:28-31

As each day passes, life continues to change and redirect us
in an as-yet-unknown and definitely unchosen pathway. Some people are
horrified, for all they sought to accomplish in life seems to be slipping away
right before their eyes. Others worry as resources are strained, regular
activities and responsibilities are on indefinite hold, and children grow weary
of lockdown conditions. Everyone is concerned. Whatever tomorrow brings, it
will be different than today.

On the other hand, a friend recently told me he and his wife
had enjoyed longer, more meaningful, and more diverse conversation than they
had in years. After daily school – online or otherwise – is finished, the
sounds of children’s laughter and play bounce down the street, especially in
the cul-de-sac in which my house sits. Without afterschool care and with the
suspension of extra-curricular activities, children across a surprisingly wide
breadth of ages are engaging in the pastime of my own childhood: playing
together. Bicycles and water guns and sidewalk chalk fill the neighborhood. Looking
for unexpected spots of joy helps.

I have been watching the ongoing social media debate over
whether we should learn new languages and repaint our homes during our time at
home, or simply be grateful that we survived another day with a minimum toilet
paper and without filing for divorce. The thing is, it’s not an either/or
situation. Regardless of what we want, change is happening, and life will not
go back to what it used to be. For some, this is a nightmare. There are
families who are sitting in shock, helpless to do anything about the downward
spiral of all that they have built together. Income has dropped, if not been
lost completely, and bills are mounting. Tensions are greater, and fault lines
in marriages are being revealed. Noisy, bored children respond to tense
undercurrents by whining, arguing, and throwing tantrums. Even as children play
and folks visit, for some, those moments are but a brief respite from
intensifying pressures for which there appears to be no resolution.

We are, proverbially speaking, in the middle of a horrific
storm. Regardless of how dire our circumstances are, we still have a choice to
consider. We can choose to sink, to tread water, or to walk.

Jesus and His
disciples were in Nazareth when Jesus received word that John the Baptist was
beheaded. The pressure was intensifying as Herod sought to maintain control and
get along with the Romans, and Jesus, mourning the loss of John, withdrew in
seclusion with His disciples. A large, fearful, and weary crowd sought Jesus
after John’s beheading, and in spite of His wish to be alone with His
disciples, Jesus had compassion, healed the sick, and fed them all. Still
desiring time to pray after the crowd dispersed, Jesus sent His disciples ahead
by boat. A storm blew in, and their boat was battered by waves when, in the dark
hours before, Jesus walked across the water to meet them in the lake. The text
says the disciples were terrified when they saw Him. I totally get that.

We know the story. Peter asked Jesus to let him walk on
water also, thereby proving that the One they saw really was Jesus. Sure
enough, at Jesus’ command, Peter got out of the boat and started toward Him.
Then, Peter became afraid and started sink.

That is the moment at which we need to look closely. Jesus
walked on the water in the middle of a storm. The disciples were terrified, and
Peter wanted to walk to Jesus if it was really Him walking on water. Then,
Peter looked at the wind and waves crashing around them. He didn’t just stop
looking at Jesus. No, Peter looked at the high waves that could flip a boat and
easily drown a man, and Peter began to sink.

Isn’t that what we do? We look at the wild, high winds of
change blowing through our lives, and suddenly, the dangers we face are crystal
clear. Huge waves crashing around us leave us terrified that we will be washed
away by the storm. All we can see is the danger, the impending disaster, the
loss…

What impresses me about Peter’s story is that he had the
courage to get out of the boat. Jesus admonished Peter for his little faith,
but before He could admonish do so, Jesus had to get to him. Jesus was far away
enough that the disciples were not sure what they saw was truly Jesus. Peter
got out of the boat to walk on the water to Him for proof that the apparition
they thought they saw was actually Jesus. Yet, when Peter cried to Jesus to
save him, Jesus was immediately
there.

That is what we need to hear: Jesus responded immediately to Peter’s cry. As we live
through these changing times and along the chaotic, confusing pathway into
tomorrow, Jesus responds immediately when we call, too. Jesus may seem far
away, and to be sure, we do not always recognize when He is walking toward us.
But, as Christians, rather than focus at how high the waves are or how
dangerously the wind blows, we are called by Jesus to get out of the boat and
walk on the water. The Word Who spoke creation into existence is walking to
meet us, unfazed by the waves, undeterred by the winds.

Should we all be accomplishing great things during our
enforced time off? I don’t know. I do know we should expect more from our God
than dog paddling or treading to stay afloat. Life may change. Life will change. Some days, treading water is an accomplishment, but that should
never be our goal. Instead of looking at the wind and the waves that threaten
to wash us away, let us look for the Lord Who is coming to meet us.

Lift up the eyes of your soul. The One Who holds the
universe in His hand is reaching out to you.

In Christ –