The Great Unknown

You called me out upon the waters, the great unknown.  

My feet may fail.  

I have a problem and it's called fear. I thought I had mastered down this fear thing when I resigned last year with no back up.  (Talk about trust without borders.)  I obeyed and followed through and found myself falling into the arms of the Everlasting.  In the process, my faith was made stronger and my character was built by letting go and letting God.

The process didn't come quickly for me.  If you remember, it was months and months of trying to do things on my own, before I finally gave up on trying to handle my problem myself and gave full control to the man upstairs.

Months later, I'm in the same predicament.  No, it's not over a job, but more so acting on a calling. God has called me to walk on water again, not literally, but figuratively. Walking on water means to do something that seems impossible.  It is to fully trust God with whatever he asks you to do. When Jesus called Peter to get out of the boat and walk towards him in the middle of lake, Peter was scared as most us would be.  Walk on water?  Impossible.  Jesus noticed his fear and quickly said, "Take courage.  It is I.  Do not be afraid." Peter got out of the boat, walked on water towards Jesus, but as soon as he took his eyes off of him and noticed the wind, he became afraid and began to sink.  "Lord save me" he cried.  Jesus immediately reached out to save him.  "You of little faith," he said, "Why did you doubt?" (Matthew 14:22-23)

I always get choked up on that last part, "You of little faith.  Why did you doubt?"  That part resonates with me because I know that is what Jesus would tell me now.  I can pray and pray all day, every day, but if I don't put full trust or actually believe that God will sustain me through, then what good is it?  

We can pray over the same thing day in and day out hoping God will make a move, yet God is waiting for us to take action.  I can almost imagine Him, up in heaven, looking down over me saying, "Yes, I hear you daughter.  I can do all of that and more for you, but if you do not fully believe and trust me, then what good is it to answer your prayer?  You must trust me without borders. Come walk on water and see what great things can happen."

But. It's. so. hard. 

When my daughter was little, she was completely mortified of water.  You couldn't get her to get in the pool.  She so wanted to jump in and have fun with her cousins, but fear always held her back. Over the years she became brave and slowly started to dip her toes, then her legs and eventually she would make her way in and tip toe in the shallow area.  Just this last summer, she surprised me when she learned how to swim and became comfortable going underwater.  I was so proud.  While it took her a little longer than others to do something so simple as swimming, I knew that she had overcome her fear and it meant so much to see her swimming and splashing with her cousins.  

I know that is how God sees me.  He understands my fears and he knows that I struggle with control and the unknown and he constantly tries to put me in different situations and obstacles, not to punish me but to help me grow.  I would always tell my daughter, there's nothing to be scared of.  I'm here. Nothing will happen to you.  Just as I was encouraging her and ready to jump in and save her, God will do just the same.  We are his children and he wants nothing but the best for us. 

My goal this year is to keep my eyes above the waves.  To not flinch at the first sign of fear or any distraction, but instead to fix my eyes on He who created heaven and earth, because He has plans to prosper me and give me a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)  He has promised good things for me, I just need to trust without borders.  He's never failed and He won't stop now. 

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders. 

Let me walk upon the waters, wherever you would call me.

Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander and my faith would be made stronger in the presence of my savior. 

Today I pray that whoever is reading this will take heart and know that you - yes you can do anything through Christ who gives you strength! (Philippians 4:13)  I pray that whatever distractions come in the way of fulfilling the will of God will be recognized immediately.  The enemy knows how to strategically block you from the blessings of God and he will do it if you allow him to enter your mind and heart.  Rebuke him and he will flee. (James 4:7) Above all else, I pray that God stays front and center of your life and may you never forget that His love never fails.