Carol BarryIn this penitential season of Lent it may be appropriate to think of trust, what it is and how well we do it. I heard a sermon recently about Peter walking on the water. Good old Peter, he was the one who recognized Jesus and took the leap of faith. Sure, he thought better of it and started to sink. But he was the only one who got out of the boat. The other apostles held back. Is that really Jesus? Maybe I should wait to be sure. Maybe I should see how things go with Peter. Surely God doesn’t mean for me to walk out there to meet Him.
Our own choices seem less dramatic at times, but they can still require a leap of faith, and our courage often fails us. We think God is calling us to do something, but good sense gets in the way. Sometimes we just need to get out of the boat. The worst that can happen is that God will know that we listened and trusted in Him. He will take it from there, even coming to rescue us if we find ourselves sinking.
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There's nothing wrong with sinking. Sinking is human and it teaches humility. So I sink, but in sinking, also trusting in my heart that whatever dies in me dies in order for me to be fully and completely with God who is Love. Trust is openness of the heart in any situation. If I trust in God, wherever I am, even in hell, I can keep my heart open for God to enter anytime.
Thank you for this meditation.
Roy
I'm in a winter boat, wanting to step outside when the weather warms. My habits of hibernation to be broken. And, I'm in a boat that is taking me across this ocean of samsara (illusion). Probably when I reach the ocean of love, I won't need a boat anymore.
Thank you for this reflection, Carol. I have as of late (several times) felt this feeling of pure, simple trust that God will provide an answer to my concern. Then it seems that I hand it over to God very easily. It is a feeling of sureness down in my soul, and is very soothing after I have trusted/believed that God will be present in my life at this point in time. Thank you for reminding me of this feeling, and I hope that I can trust God again more often and more openly in the future!
I read this post right after a time of Lectio divina on Mark 5. The passage that spoke to me there was the phrase about the woman who had the hemorrhage for twelve years: “[she] told [Jesus] the whole truth.” What struck me about this was the courage, borne of her faith, that enabled her to share all she had and all she was with Christ. In a way, it’s the same act of faith as Peter’s stepping out onto the water. My prayer is to receive the faith to trust in the same way.
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