Where Feet May Fail

Almost exactly two years ago to the day I posted this...it was a Wednesday, August 31, 2011...Joe and I had made a pact to wake up before the littles.  It's not poetic or charming, but it was where we were in this short life and worth re-posting because God is so BIG and we are so small...

Here it is:

"LOOK AT ME"

Today I rolled out of bed early. 

I promised him that I would and it was all my bright idea.  To wake up before the crack of dawn together and seek Him out. 

I didn't even hear the alarm but instead woke to the yellow glaring light he had flicked on in the bathroom. 

How I am NOT a morning person.  It takes everything in me to get out of bed at a normal hour and I think to myself how this is insane but stand firm on my word and plant my feet on the cream plush carpet almost begrudgingly and arise. 

I stumble down the creaky stairway and find him sitting there, looking at his phone and almost roll my eyes until I come closer and realize that he is reading scripture on it.

He tells me how he woke up, right before the alarm went off, from a dream.

In the dream, he tells me, there was a hand reaching out and water all around him, and he was fearful but the man behind the hand urged him and spoke with great authority...

 "Don't look left or right...LOOK AT ME!"

And Joe stood there on the water, afraid but looking straight ahead...

and then he awoke...moments before the alarm...

out of a dead sleep he arose with a sense of urgency...

He immediately thought of the story in Matthew of Peter walking on the water. 

And that's what he was reading on his phone when I almost rolled my eyes at him.

He reads it for me...

Matthew 14:26-32 (NIV)

26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
 28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
   29 “Come,” he said.
   Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.“You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
 32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.

And as I let the words (this bread of life) in...a chill runs through my veins and out my skin, goosebumps all over...

We woke early to seek and He speaks...

And we are listening with ears perked out because He has shown up BIG...

And I don't doubt now...

My faith has been increased...

I know we can walk on water, if we look to Him, not to the wind or the storms of life, not left or right but straight on ahead to Him...

I am encouraged, we both are!  Our eyes are straight ahead...

But the question isn't:

"Will we walk on water?"

He has assured us that we will, if we look to Him...not left, not right...

and He has enabled us this morning in the early hours of the day as the children still dream fast asleep to do just that... look to HIM...

The question is:

"Will we get out of the boat?"

And tonight, September 1, 2013, I ask the same question... 

"Will we trust in our Savior to lead us out onto the water where feet may fail and fear surrounds?" 

Last week we sang a song at church that we had never heard.  It was beautiful and moving.  People were wiping their eyes and sniffling around me, I didn't think much of it because typically, I cry during worship, I'm a mess, don't judge, I'm not afraid to admit it, anyway...The next day, Joe called me from work (which isn't very frequent...yes he loves me, but apparently doesn't have lots of time for chit-chat...or he knows I will keep him on the phone for much too long but I knew it was important) and he starts to say, "I can't stop thinking about that song we sang last night at church, and I didn't sing the words because I was afraid to..."  I tried to recap the worship set and thought that I remembered but wasn't quite sure since I had lost half of my body weight in tears...but thankfully a sweet soul had posted a link to the song on FB, and I was able to make the connection...  

And tonight we sang it again at church...

It is both beautiful and courageous...

And really does make you think before you sing...

Check it out..I hope it ministers to you as much as it did to us!

God is so good and His love endures forever!! 

May we all trust in Him to give us the faith to step out where our trust is without borders!!