A Step of Faith

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Peter answered him, "Lord if it is you, command me to come to you on the water."

He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat,

started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. --Matthew 14:28-29

When we have faith and by the power of God we too can walk on water.



The world can be scary and anxiety ridden.  If you watch the news on tv or read headlines you can spot how the world wants to shock us and sometimes downright frighten us.  But even when we are exposed daily to criminal statistics and the declining numbers of the economy we sometimes have to dig deep and hang tight to our faith and share our joy.  I work for a good company who has treated me well and supported me in ways I couldn't even imagine.  This was the perfect job for me when I started as I needed a quiet place to heal.  I had collected hurts and wore grief like a sweater.  I needed a job with enough responsibility to keep me focused and busy and protected from too many demands that could and would hinder the healing process.  However,  I have felt the stirring that this job is not my final calling.  And again I cannot stress how great many of my co-workers have been over the years. 

God gives us each gifts.  Gifts that will bring us joy as they fulfill the desires of our hearts that he planted when we were first created.  He allows us the opportunity to serve Him and glorify him with our talents.  I now feel it is time to develop other talents of mine before they get snuffed out.  Its scary though to leave the comforts of a company that I have known for six years.  It is especially frightening to leave a job of any type especially one with some nice benefits and enough money to help with those monthly bills when so many people are looking.  Logically, this is the time to hunker down until the unemployed storm passes.  But faith isn't about being comfortable. Because  stepping out in faith rarely includes a safety net.  And having faith and being logical aren't always synonymous. 

So, today I took a step of faith - I turned in my resignation letter.  There is one part of me that wants to cling to the boat - its safe, its comfortable, and most invitingly; its familiar.  But the major part of me is so excited to see what is happening outside this boat and to feel the water under my feet if it be God's will to grant me the chance to walk on water.  I have a summer job lined up as I will spend the majority of my summer with the most fabulous kids in the world.  In my heart I feel this will be a summer I treasure forever as I get the opportunity to view the world from six children's eyes - ages ranging from nineteen months to thirteen years old. 

Another gift I look forward to living - I get to live as one of my daydream figures.  I always thought I could make a pretty great nanny.  Here's my chance to not just imagine this thought; but to actually live the dream.  The saying goes - Our regrets are not the mistakes we make in life but the chances we never take.

You may be wondering where is the step of faith?  You already have a job.  And not only a job but a dream job that you have waited to try for years.  The faith is that I know I am giving up my "comfy" seat at an office that I have been a part of for the past six years to enjoy nine weeks of the summer dream.  Because then school starts and the job disappears.  I know a lot can happen in almost three months.  I know that it is silly to worry that far in the future.  But I also know there are realists who are screaming stay put because nine weeks goes too fast and there are people who have been seeking jobs for two years. 

But with peace in my heart and joy bubbling from within I am stepping out of the boat because I feel with every fiber in my body Jesus called and said "Come".  So I step.  Walk with me and if you have time I could use an extra prayer or two.  A prayer to stay faithful because "worry" likes to nibble at the toes.  A prayer to stay present so that I can remain patient, involved, and be blessed as six children share their excitement and frustrations.  And last a prayer for God's will when fall comes and that whatever the next step of faith is that I once again can clearly hear "Come" (a smooth transition would be a great bonus :) .

May your HealthFULL Journey reveal those precious opportunities where a step of faith may be nerve-racking but so exhilarating.  'Til we meet again. . .