Today is a continuation of my personal experience of discernment.  Perhaps you will find a similar thread to your own story.

     When I think of this story and how I came to discern and to follow this path, I can see some parallels between my story and the biblical story of Jesus and Peter walking on the water.  first of all, just like Peter and the rest of the disciples I have seen the work of Jesus in my life and the lives of others.  Peter had just witnessed the feeding of five thousand people with pretty much no resources of man.  God, Jesus provided it all.  Witnessing these things helps to encourage one’s faith.  In the story, the disciples are afraid and believe that Jesus is a ghost.  Jesus tells them not to be afraid.  Just as Peter had to believe that it was Jesus, I too had to recognize that it was Jesus also.  He tells them it is I.  Peter then says to Jesus if it’s you command me to come on the water to you.  Peter was willing to step out on faith.

     I too have been willing to step out in faith many times.  So Jesus commands him to come.  Peter believes it and steps out of the boat.  Peter stepped out and so did I. It was not an easy step for me and probably not an easy step for Peter, given the wind and the waves and what he knew of water, having worked on it most of his life.  For Peter, now it was about walking towards Jesus the one who commanded him.  For me after stepping out of the boat it also was about walking.  In the story Peter begins to falter, his faith is being tested by the storm.  He loses sight of the one who has called him. 

     Many times my faith is shaken and I too lose sight of Jesus.  In the beginning I shared about what I thought Jesus was asking me to do, and I faltered.  I quit and sank just like Peter did when he began to consider all else that was going on around him and lose sight of Jesus.  When I consider how that this time I continued to keep walking and to follow what I believe Jesus was asking me to do, the difference is I did  and now do what Peter did.  In the story, Peter begins to sink.  Many times that is the part that we key in on.  Peter was doubting and sinking.  But the storms are going to rage and Jesus knows that when he asks us to live and walk by faith.  Peter was losing sight of Jesus, but he cried out to him.  He says “Lord save me”.  Jesus then reaches out to him, grabs him and picks him back up. 

     Yes Peter is doubting but who does he reach out to, it’s Jesus.  Peter still has a little faith.  I too at times have great faith and at times my faith quotient is pretty low.  In the process of stepping out and going to school the wind and the waves continued to take their toll on my faith.  But the difference now was that I just kept putting one foot in front of the other and kept walking.  Not oblivious to the storms but by faith with Jesus going through them.  Crying out when I needed to and holding on to Jesus and what he asked me to do.

     What has Jesus aked of you?  How has your faith been strengthened by being faithful one small step at a time?

Picture: Path by Faeryan