“Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.” Hebrews 11:1 (NLT)

Recently, I visited my mom in Michigan. One evening as I sat at the kitchen table looking out the window, I had to do a double take. And even after that second glance my mind tried to convince me I wasn’t seeing what I thought I was. Featherless, blueish head. Round body with skinny legs and a full tail with the ability to fan out. You don’t usually expect to see a wild turkey in the middle of town but the evidence was there. It took me a bit to grasp what was within sight, but sure enough, a turkey family was meandering through the neighborhood headed our way.

As I think back on this, it reminds me of the disciples traveling in a boat across a stormy lake. 

“Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that the disciples get back into the boat
 and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home.
Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. When the disciples saw him walking on the water, the were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, ‘It’s a ghost!’ But Jesus spoke to them at once.
‘Don’t be afraid,’ he said. ‘Take courage. I am here!’”
Matthew 14:22, 24-27 (NLT)

So, like me, the disciples could see something in the distance that caused them to do a double take and their minds tried to convince them they weren’t seeing what they thought they were. Because let’s face it, we don’t usually expect to see a Man walking on top of the water! And in a storm yet! The evidence was there, however they couldn’t wrap their minds around what was within their sight. Then Peter recognized Who was walking their way. Let’s hop back in the boat for a moment….

“Then Peter called to him, ‘Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.’ ‘Yes, come,’ Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. ‘Save me, Lord!’ he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. ‘You have so little faith,’ Jesus said. Why did you doubt me?’ When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the disciples worshiped him.
‘You really are the Son of God!’ they exclaimed.”
Matthew 14:28-32 (NLT)

Listen to how The Message described what happened to Peter:

“Immediately Jesus reached for Peter and caught him.
‘O you of little faith. Why did you doubt and dance back and forth
between following Me and heeding fear:’”
Matthew 14:31(The Message)

Yikes! I don’t know about you, but I’ve done that dance many times. I’m pretty much an expert at it….and that’s not a good thing. Jesus is with us in our storms too. The problem can be though, we’re just too busy trying to figure out what to do on our own that we usually don’t see Him standing right there waiting for us to look to Him. And sure enough, when we recognize that He is Who He is, the waters don’t seem as rough as they had been.

No, we don’t usually expect to see turkeys in the middle of a college town and it was obvious those turkeys didn’t expect someone to be watching them; because once they spotted me standing in my mom’s kitchen window they scurried off in every direction looking for escape. I’m afraid that I have some of that turkey behavior in me, too. AND, I can also relate to the disciples in the boat. Maybe you can too. What’s the common denominator? Fear. I want to be more like the Peter who was willing to step out of the boat with his eyes set on Jesus, but far too often I’m more like sinking Peter. Remember the question Jesus asked in the Message translation? Why doubt and dance back and forth between Me and fear? I don’t know about you, but I do get so tired of doing that “Turkey Trot.”

“So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather,
 we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
2 Corinthians 4:18

There are many times when we just can’t wrap our minds around what we see in this world. But what I’m learning is that, as we “fix our gaze” on the unseen One who is with us through every stormy (and sunny) day and who will never leave us, our “little faith” begins to grow. The evidence will be there….love, grace, forgiveness, peace, strength, and so much more. Our fears will become dimmer as we put our trust in what we see with our hearts instead of our eyes, living lives with a future with Jesus, clearly in our sights.

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