Wet Feet, Soggy Faith
Where we’ve been staying in South Africa for Debrief, there is a pool. One day my good buddy Garrett were swiming and acted really dumb and jumping around and all the jazz. After quite a bit of not purposely trying to make fools of our selves but succeeding at it, there was a drastic change with our mindset. “Lets test our faith.” “Do we have the faith to walk on water?”
“Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up to the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart, it is I. Do not be afriad.”
Garrett and I stood there at the waters edge and we both prayed, for the Father to build our faith and to grow it and anything else that came to us to pray about having faith to walk on water.
“…So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord save me!” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him…..”
Splash after slapsh after splash of a very humbly event, we didnt have the faith to walk across the pool. (I’m rushing to finish this blog because me and Garrett are going to go “swiming” right when I’m done..) Just walking up to the water and not stoping your foot steps and actually believing that you will walk on the water, but then you fall face first right in, just really hits home to where your faith is at. I mean I felt like a really belived that I would walk on the water, that my faith was stong enough in our powerful God that he’d allow me to do this, but when you just fall in the water, it really brings you face to face with your faith. Miracles or signs of wonders, what ever you want to call them, well, I’ve experienced those before, walking on water is simply just walking on water, I thought I had the faith in God for me to do it.
“…saying to him, O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
A big theme thats been consistent of my time during these past 5 months is Jesus. What i mean is that, he is all you need. I dont mean he is going to give you your needs, which is does, but what i mean is he is all you need your focus to be on, in everything. In everything in life, just focus on Jesus. You can’t change anyone, nothing you do is going to change anyone, no matter how many good things you do, or how much you love someone, that only for the Holy Spirit to do. You know when people say, “Be filled with Jesus love, that it just overflows out of you unto others.” Well, thats kind of what I’m trying to say here with have Jesus as the one and only in your life. Having tunnel vision for Jesus, focusing on him in your life, loving him and your relationship together. The only thing that can get me across that pool (while staying on top of it) is if i never take me eyes/ heart off of him. Everytime I walk up to the edge of the pool, without really knowing it, I basically do what Peter did. “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” I dont want to doubt anymore God, I want to have the faith to walk on water. I want to be like your son. Prove me, O Lord, and try me; test my heart and my mind. Grow my faith Father.
But one thing Garrett said when we were left standing by the pool in our humiliation had been resonating in me. “God delights in what we are doing right now.” Even in our failures of our faith in Him, he takes delights when you even try to bring glory to Him.
And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshipped him saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Im gonna go swimming now.
