This month sees the start of the holiday season, and I am sure you are thinking about your holidays. I hope some of you will be able to get away and I know for a lot of you this will involve a beach or a swimming pool. I love messing about in water. I went on a family holiday after Easter in the Cotswolds, which, as it was booked by my older daughter, had a wild swimming lake (-one of her latest passions!) Someone had also brought along a paddle board, and my grandsons and great nephews had a whale of a time having a go. As it was still very cold, I thought there was no way you would get me doing it, but it looked like so much fun that I just had to have a go! I really enjoyed it paddling around in a kneeling position, but I got over-confident and decided to try and stand up! The inevitable happened and I did indeed then find myself wild swimming!! And yes, it was very cold!
This incident put me in mind of the passage in Matthew 14, where Peter and his friends are in a boat, during rough weather on the lake and see Jesus walking towards them. After getting over the shock, Peter -like me ever over-confident- says “Lord if it is you, command me to come to you on the water” Jesus says “Come.” and Peter gets out the boat and starts walking on the water. However, he stops looking at Jesus and starts looking at the waves and became frightened and starts to sink. Jesus immediately saves him, but says to him “You of little faith, why did you doubt”. It was in studying this passage that I first realised God wanted me to be ordained as a priest. I had already started to study as a Reader, but I felt God was saying to me “No Vivienne, that is not enough, you need to get out of the boat!” It was a scary thing to do, but I found that with faith even I could do what I thought was beyond me. True I often get knocked by the next big wave and feel myself sinking, but I know Jesus is always there reaching out his hand to me. And after the wobble, I always hear his voice “Why did you doubt?”!
So, enjoy the summer, but just reflect – what is Jesus challenging you to do? Is he asking YOU to get out of the boat?
Blessings to all, Vivienne