Faith

Yesterday, in my morning reading and in the reading at church, I heard Matthew 14:22 - 36 "Jesus walks on the water."

I was struck by Peter's response: "Peter, suddenly bold, said, “Master, if it’s really you, call me to come to you on the water.”
Not just a 'Wow!' moment but an overwhelming desire to do what Jesus was doing - something extra ordinary.

And Jesus let him join in: "He said, “Come ahead.”
Jumping out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to Jesus."

Peter walked on water!

Then fear kicked in: "But when he looked down at the waves churning beneath his feet, he lost his nerve and started to sink. He cried, “Master, save me!” "

Again, Jesus responded quickly. "Jesus didn’t hesitate. He reached down and grabbed his hand."

And Jesus points out it was Peter's faith - or lack of it - that let him down: literally. "Then he said, “Faint-heart, what got into you?” "

But Peter was still safe. He was with Jesus. And Jesus was in complete control: "The two of them climbed into the boat, and the wind died down."

Faith. In Matthew 6:30 and 16:8 Jesus promises that God takes care of physical needs for those who have faith. ""Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?'…" and in Mark 4:40 we can have faith in a man who controls the elements.
Again, in Matthew 8:26 he tells us to have faith and not be afraid.

Yet FAITH is 
Fear
Anxiety
Isolation
Trust
Hope

When we step forward and can't see where the foot is to land; where nothing makes sense except that Jesus IS; when all we can do is keep on going because we trust Him: this is faith.

And some more 'nuggets':

There is more to life than just here and now...the most damaging aspect of contemporary living is short-term thinking. To make the most of life keep the vision of eternity in my mind and the value of eternity in my heart... Only a fool would go through life unprepared for what will eventually happen...
1 John 2:17 ...if you do the will of God, you will live forever. Because this world, as Hebrews 13:14 says, I'd not our home...

Life is a trust and a trust... The way I see my life shapes my life. What is my life metaphor - how do I picture my life?
A sea journey - a cruise, where the destination is more important than the journey, the longing to arrive greater than the now...and yet I also believe it is more important to travel than arrive, that the 'how' of how I journey is important.