Finding Ourselves in Scripture, Part 2 - Getting Out of the Boat
In my last post about "Finding Ourselves in Scripture," I shared some thoughts from Mark 2:1-12, which came out of some time I spent at a conference about a year after moving to Thailand. That particular conference offered some very meaningful times of reflection on scripture, and it was there I learned about "Praying with Imagination." Because this method of scripture reading and prayer has made such a difference in my life, I want to share a couple other passages.
The beautiful area of the Sea of Galilee is the setting for the next story, Jesus walking on the water, found in Matthew 14:22-36. My husband and I have been blessed with the gift of a visit to Israel twice during our marriage. One of the most meaningful things about actually traveling through the areas we read about in the scriptures is how it brings those stories to life.
The first part of Matthew 14 tells of Jesus speaking to the crowds all day long, then feeding the 5,000 there on the hills by the lakeside. As the day draws to a close, Jesus sends his disciples out in a boat to head across the sea, while he himself heads off to a quiet place to be alone.
In the middle of the night, exhausted and stressed, out on the water with waves and winds rising all around them, the disciples are stunned to see a figure coming towards them. A ghost? In the midst of the struggle, they don't recognize Jesus for who He is. Jesus attempts to calm their fears by revealing Himself, and yet they still hesitate. All except Peter, who really wants to believe.
When our family first heard the call of God to serve overseas, everyone around us was extremely supportive and excited. In truth, no one seemed to have any doubts that we had heard correctly. A natural next step, everyone said. The momentum of that excitement carried us through months of planning and support-raising - always forward-looking, caught up in the travel and meeting new people, making necessary preparations and assailed by the busyness of the work of transitioning. It didn't seem that difficult at the time - maybe because time went by so quickly! And then suddenly there we were, living in Thailand.
As I read through this Matthew passage a year after moving to Thailand, I found myself considering all the different people/places I could be in this story.
Was I in the boat with the disciples? Was I Jesus, either on the shore or walking on the water? Was I Peter asking Jesus to prove Himself? Was I Peter taking that step of faith? Faltering because I take my eyes off of Him?
And here’s the thing. I really wanted to be Peter. Even if I was Peter going under, at least I got out of the boat. But the truth is that in the very essence of who I am, I am in the boat - the safe place. If it was up to me, I would never leave the boat. It would take something extraordinary to make me leave the boat. And how does that happen?
The beautiful area of the Sea of Galilee is the setting for the next story, Jesus walking on the water, found in Matthew 14:22-36. My husband and I have been blessed with the gift of a visit to Israel twice during our marriage. One of the most meaningful things about actually traveling through the areas we read about in the scriptures is how it brings those stories to life.
The first part of Matthew 14 tells of Jesus speaking to the crowds all day long, then feeding the 5,000 there on the hills by the lakeside. As the day draws to a close, Jesus sends his disciples out in a boat to head across the sea, while he himself heads off to a quiet place to be alone.
In the middle of the night, exhausted and stressed, out on the water with waves and winds rising all around them, the disciples are stunned to see a figure coming towards them. A ghost? In the midst of the struggle, they don't recognize Jesus for who He is. Jesus attempts to calm their fears by revealing Himself, and yet they still hesitate. All except Peter, who really wants to believe.
When our family first heard the call of God to serve overseas, everyone around us was extremely supportive and excited. In truth, no one seemed to have any doubts that we had heard correctly. A natural next step, everyone said. The momentum of that excitement carried us through months of planning and support-raising - always forward-looking, caught up in the travel and meeting new people, making necessary preparations and assailed by the busyness of the work of transitioning. It didn't seem that difficult at the time - maybe because time went by so quickly! And then suddenly there we were, living in Thailand.
As I read through this Matthew passage a year after moving to Thailand, I found myself considering all the different people/places I could be in this story.
*If you don't know about Praying with Imagination, you might read my last post,
Was I in the boat with the disciples? Was I Jesus, either on the shore or walking on the water? Was I Peter asking Jesus to prove Himself? Was I Peter taking that step of faith? Faltering because I take my eyes off of Him?
And here’s the thing. I really wanted to be Peter. Even if I was Peter going under, at least I got out of the boat. But the truth is that in the very essence of who I am, I am in the boat - the safe place. If it was up to me, I would never leave the boat. It would take something extraordinary to make me leave the boat. And how does that happen?
Jesus used His
imagination in this story, for sure. He could have taken a boat like any normal
person if he wanted to get out to where the disciples were. But no, He chooses
to just walk out there.
And something in Peter makes him believe that he can be like Jesus. If I had been in the boat, would it even have occurred to me that I could leave it and join Him?
Of course, I did eventually realize that for perhaps the first time in my life, I HAD left the boat. I don't think that ever before had I truly allowed myself to be put in a position where I was so completely incapable of handling what was happening on my own. There have been some tough moves in my past, requiring a reliance on God to be a friend during lonely times and to help adjust to new situations.
Thailand is new. Different. Strange. Beautiful. Hard to understand. Fascinating. Curious.
Living in Thailand can be lonely. Frustrating. Dangerous. Confusing. Hard.
Don't misunderstand me - living overseas is also wonderful, rewarding, and enlightening. It is revealing, as you come to know yourself in ways you never have before. As you realize you must rely on God in ways you never have before. There is a definite correlation to serving overseas for the first time and Peter leaving the boat. When you don't keep your eyes on Jesus, you go down fast!
And something in Peter makes him believe that he can be like Jesus. If I had been in the boat, would it even have occurred to me that I could leave it and join Him?
Of course, I did eventually realize that for perhaps the first time in my life, I HAD left the boat. I don't think that ever before had I truly allowed myself to be put in a position where I was so completely incapable of handling what was happening on my own. There have been some tough moves in my past, requiring a reliance on God to be a friend during lonely times and to help adjust to new situations.
But nothing like moving overseas.
Thailand is new. Different. Strange. Beautiful. Hard to understand. Fascinating. Curious.
Living in Thailand can be lonely. Frustrating. Dangerous. Confusing. Hard.
Don't misunderstand me - living overseas is also wonderful, rewarding, and enlightening. It is revealing, as you come to know yourself in ways you never have before. As you realize you must rely on God in ways you never have before. There is a definite correlation to serving overseas for the first time and Peter leaving the boat. When you don't keep your eyes on Jesus, you go down fast!
But Jesus doesn't call us to be safe.
He only asks us to keep our eyes on Him and "Come" (Matt. 14:29)
So how about you? Where do you see yourself in this story? Maybe you, like Peter, have taken a leap of faith and are afraid of drowning. If so, fix your eyes on Jesus and lean hard on him. Or have you been content to stay in the boat, comfortable in your ways and unwilling to put yourself at the mercy of the waves? If this is you today, I encourage you to, like Peter, ask the Lord to call you. And when you hear Him say, "Come," get out of your boat and walk with Him. You'll be glad you did.
You call me out upon the water,
The great unknown where feet may fail.
And there I find you in the mystery
In oceans deep, my faith will stand.
And I will call upon Your name,
And keep my eyes above the waves.
When oceans rise my soul will rest in Your embrace,
For I am Yours and You are mine.
Your grace abounds in deepest waters.
Your sovereign hand will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me.
You've never failed, and You won't start now.
Spirit, lead me where my trust is without borders.
Let me walk upon the waters wherever You may call me.
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander,
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior.
--"Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)," by Hillsong United
You call me out upon the water,
The great unknown where feet may fail.
And there I find you in the mystery
In oceans deep, my faith will stand.
And I will call upon Your name,
And keep my eyes above the waves.
When oceans rise my soul will rest in Your embrace,
For I am Yours and You are mine.
Your grace abounds in deepest waters.
Your sovereign hand will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me.
You've never failed, and You won't start now.
Spirit, lead me where my trust is without borders.
Let me walk upon the waters wherever You may call me.
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander,
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior.
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