And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. (Matt 14:28)
Part of learning to swim is learning to tread water. You must be able to keep your head above water while remaining in the same place. Not as easy as it sounds and can become very exhausting the longer you are in the water - it is actually easier to just swim.
Not unlike the way we often feel when we are waiting on the Lord. When we are moving (doing His work) we are not likely to become distracted. It is in those moments of being "still" that we have the most difficulty. Our brain tells us to move forward, actually, move anywhere but where we are. God tells us to just stand quietly where we are and wait for Him. I have been treading water for quite some time now. Perhaps it's just been time for me to refocus on what it is He'd have me do. Perhaps it's just a time to rest in Him. I sit at watch as the lives of those around me unfold into new and rewarding joys. Still, I wait. I battle the demons that tell me to walk away and I cling to hope of my Savior all while crying out to Him for courage and strength!
Life isn't always fair. Happiness doesn't come with a bow on it, nor is it wrapped up in pretty paper. Salvation, however, comes in the form of a cross. From it's tiniest splinters to the base of it's enormous beams, we can witness and praise the greatest gift of all - the shed blood of Christ. For that, I don't mind standing still for a bit. I know that the life given to me is the life I was chosen to live. The happiness I seek will come at the end of my road. What I seek (what we all seek) cannot be found under a tree or anywhere else but in the company of Jesus! He guides us, guards us and protects us. He calls to us to come meet Him on the water - He renews us and strengthens us. He holds us and shelters us and He has called us "friend".
If you didn't get all the pretty things you so wanted to get this Christmas, remember you did get one thing that you did not deserve - something more precious than gold, sweeter than the fragrance of frankincense
or myrrh! You received an invitation to belong to the one whose birth we celebrate - whose death destroyed sin and whose resurrection opened the gates of heaven! Say "yes" to Him when He calls your name! Walk out onto the water in faith...
