I have a painting on my wall that I treasure: “Christ Walking on Water” painted in 1880 by Julius Von Klever. It was a gift from my mother at a time when I desperately needed it. I was discouraged, trying to become the mother of my dreams. But the days were long in our dark little basement apartment with two toddler boys and my husband in graduate school. My dream glowed like an ember before me, but it seemed so far out of reach. I just felt too small and weak to realize my divine potential.
Do you ever feel this way? Like God has this grand vision of how His glorious purposes will shine through you, and yet you feel so ordinary?
The day I hung this painting on our tiny dining room wall I felt a newfound courage well up inside me and our home was filled with a special sort of holiness. And as I gazed upon this painting day after day, the beautiful story of Christ walking on the water came alive in my mind and I became like Peter. I chose each day to go beyond the boat and walk on water—a place where I had no control, but learned to trust in my Savior and His plan for my life. Through those years that seemed to stretch on forever, but really swept by too swiftly, I surrendered to Christ’s will, and He in turn healed and empowered me. And little by little, He taught me how to be the mother I’d always dreamed of becoming.
Now I stand a bit farther down the road of life and can feel that He’s not done with me yet. There are still mountains for me to climb and dreams for me to realize.
As I knelt to pray a few nights ago, I was quite unexpectedly given a new charge from the Lord. Flashes of inspiration and insight flooded my heart and I was struck with wonder.
But then I began to doubt the reality of little me achieving something so grand, and for one brief moment, fear paralyzed my aspirations. But my scriptures beckoned to me from the nightstand, promising answers. So I picked them up and opened to where my ribbon marked my place in Matthew 14:25-31.
Where do you start when your dream looms like an ocean before you?
Right where you are.
“And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea….
“And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out in fear.
“But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
“And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.”
Peter asks his Savior to invite him to come unto Him. You do the same every time you ask the Lord to show you His will for your life and how you can shine His light in your own special way.
“And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.”
And so the Savior invites and Peter steps out of the security of the ship and down into the rolling waves. Whether you do so boldly or perhaps with a bit of hesitation, you too step out of your ship of comfort and familiarity to accept the glorious task you’ve been given and walk towards Christ to learn how to achieve it.
“But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
“And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”
The wind and waves beat vehemently and for one split second Peter removes his eyes from the Savior. This moment of turning from faith to fear is when he starts to sink. Do you ever heed your doubts, fears, and the tempestuous voices around you when you embark on a dream?
After reading these verses, I felt my Savior reach down and catch me. My doubts and fears fled away, replaced with enveloping peace. I realized then that I’m really not so small and ordinary if I am walking on the water with the Savior of the world.
Are you ready to embrace your God-given dreams, walk to the Savior, and discover from Him how to shine forth His glory to the world?
Armed with faith in my Savior and with my gaze fixed steadfastly upon Him, I am ready to learn how to walk on water again.
I love the picture you took in Portugal and miss it so much! Thank you for your inspiring words to ponder!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!! You are so wonderful!! Thanks for your amazing example!!
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