Water Walking

Many years ago, a friend from work shared a great book with me. The book, written by John Ortberg, is titled If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat.

The book refers to Peter’s journey out of the boat (literally) and his subsequent walk on the water with Jesus. As a quick summary, the author suggests that we need to pray and listen to God’s calling and then, when the time is right, get out of the boat…because that is where the magic happens.

I think that many of us (myself included) spend too much time in the boat. We live in a society where the ‘boat’ is comfortable (often equipped with good salaries, a corner office, a hefty pension plan, or maybe it has double ovens, wireless internet, jetted tubs). So… who needs to leave the boat? We’re content there. We’re happy there. We don’t even really think about the ‘boat’ much until some big decision presents itself or some difficult circumstance comes our way.

I’ll admit that I’m a boat dweller (life jacket on, firmly secured), most of the time. I’m a worrier and I don’t like change and sometimes I let fear get the best of me. As I look back over my life, though, I believe Ortberg’s assertion. Outside of the boat is where God works best…when we’re afraid and we’re in over our heads.

I’ve been out of the boat a few times in my life. Moving away to college is the first time that comes to mind. I was all gung ho to go to college (in theory), but when the time came I turned into a bumbling, crying, miserable mess. Literally, I think I cried through the entire first semester. I wouldn’t have made it without my parents and their reliable sedan that drove back and forth to my college (two hours away) four days a week (yes…four days a week…they are amazing parents). I was sinking in the water, so to speak, and couldn’t find my bearings…not unlike Peter, who became fearful even when Jesus was right beside him. I guess I shouldn’t feel so bad, huh? But miraculous things happened when I started to loosen my grip on the boat. I met some of my very best friends, Erica and Lori. I grew and became independent. I learned to do laundry. I earned a degree. I plucked my eyebrows for the first time. I met my future husband. The magic happened when I got out of the boat.

There is another very big situation that required me to get out of the boat. Steve and I were trying to have a baby and it just wasn’t happening. Let me just say that struggling with infertility was so heartbreaking and overwhelming for me. We went through a lot during those three years (three miscarriages, three rounds of IUI, three rounds of IVF). I remember the day that I felt like I had enough. I picked up the phone and joined a support group in a Big City near us. I was afraid to drive to the Big City at night. I was afraid to tell my story to strangers. I was embarrassed that I needed help….but I jumped out of the boat and started doggy paddling for help anyway. Sitting there every week with these amazing women, who were struggling with exactly the same thing that I was, helped me tremendously. We were strangers who walked together through hard times. We called after doctor’s appointments. We cried when one of us got bad news, and we celebrated together when, one by one, we each welcomed our first baby into the world. That was magic, and it happened outside of the boat.

Recently, I made a decision to leave a job that I held for ten years. It was the perfect job for me, and I believe that I was very good at it. But I wanted a part-time job so that I could spend more time with my girls. When the part time job came, it had one big hitch. It was a two-year job, only to be continued if I proved to be successful in the position. The boat was a nice, comfortable, permanent job that I enjoyed and the decision was not easy. But I stepped out of the boat. I don’t know how this one is going to work out, as I’m only half-way into it (and I have yet to meet the definition of “success” in my new position). But on my days off, I get to finger paint and read stories and go to the park and hang out with the sweetest little girls around. That seems pretty magical to me.

I have a good friend, Sheila, who made a decision to get out of the boat this summer. She’s making a big leap, trusting God, putting on her water-walking shoes. I think the magic is waiting for her…just around the bend.

What about you? Is it time for you to get out of the boat? It’s not easy, but who doesn’t want to walk on water? I bet Peter’s friends (you know…the ones who stayed in the boat) always regretted that decision.

I have a long way to go in the boat-jumping, water-walking area. I need to trust more. I need to fear less. I need to listen to God, unstrap that life jacket, and step out of the boat more often. That’s where the magic happens, and I don’t want to miss it.