Grab on to God

In this week’s Gospel: Matthew 14:22-33, Jesus walks on water. The story goes: Jesus told the disciples to wait in the boat while he went alone to pray. While he was still up on the mountain praying, the boat had drifted far from shore, battered by waves because of the wind. Then, in the early hours before dawn, the disciples notice Jesus approaching on foot. Terrified, thinking he’s a ghost, Jesus calls out to them, “Take heart, it is I. Do not be afraid.” As he walks on water, Peter asks Jesus to command him to walk on it too. Jesus says “come.” Peter starts walking, but as the wind picks up he gets scared and begins to sink. He calls out for Jesus to save him, and that’s exactly what Jesus does. He stretches out his hand and says, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Haven’t we all felt a little like Peter? Full of faith, ready to do what the Lord commands, and then it all goes south. Faith is such an important part of this journey that we need to examine what it actually means to have it. In my opinion, faith isn’t something you question. Faith is knowing with certainty. Faith in the Lord doesn’t come with a question mark. As Christians, we simply know. We know the way. We know the light. We know the truth. To question is to have no faith. It’s almost like the saying, “you can’t get a little pregnant.” As Christians, we know the Lord is our Savior. If he commands us to do a thing, we do the thing.

Still, like Peter, we fall short. We get a little scared. We fall in the water and panic. Life, like the wind with Peter, can throw you off course. You will have adversity and challenges. You will have moments when your life doesn’t even feel like your life anymore. It’s specifically in those moments when you need to grab the hand of the Lord. The hand I’m talking about is the word of God. We can pray, read the Bible, attend Mass, and do whatever it is that brings us back into relationship with the Lord. When the relationship is solid, so is your faith. You know there isn’t a place you can go where the Lord isn’t present.

That’s the part we forget when we’re sinking: Peter didn’t need a better plan, he needed to reach out. So this week, when the wind picks up, don’t waste time treading water on your own strength. Reach for the hand that’s already stretched out toward you. Pray a little more. Open the Word a little more. Show up a little more.  Let me be the first to tell you that I struggle with my faith sometimes.  I lose sight for a little but with the help of my brothers and the Lord I find my way back.  I know that we are tested in accordance with our faith. So when it gets rough on the water remember that Faith isn’t built in the calm water, it’s built in the moment you choose to reach out and grab on to God instead of panic.