Brett and I divvied up the suitcases, handed Aspen her backpack and prepared to leave the hotel room.  I quickly glanced around the room and despite the little voice that suggested I do my usual check under everything before I leave the hotel room, I ignored it.  I felt confident this time that I had put everything in the proper bag and we were ready to go.  About two hours later I wanted to send a text and to my dismay discovered that I should have indeed double checked the hotel room.  I looked through my backpack and purse, had Brett call my phone and resigned myself to accepting the fact that I’m not perfect and had indeed left my phone in the hotel room.

My husband spent several days playing phone tag with the hotel desk clerks.  It seemed like every time he called he talked to someone new who had no knowledge that he had previously called about the very same thing.  He would have to once again explain everything from the beginning.   Finally we gave up on ever getting my phone back and stopped by a phone store to take a look at a possible new phone.  I just wanted a basic phone with a physical qwerty keyboard.  I had one option.  But then the sales man pulled out his phone and showed all the advantages of owning a 4G phone.  Wow!  I had no idea a phone could do so many things!  I talked it over with my husband and we agreed that rather than a basic phone we should buy the 4G.  It has been a whole day already and I am figuring out that it may take me a life time to figure out how to make all the bells and whistles work.

Would I rather have a basic run of the mill spiritual life or would I rather have a spiritual life that runs at the speed of a 4G?  Just like I need to take the time to learn about the ins and outs of my new phone, in order to have a spiritual life that runs at the speed of a 4G I need to spend time searching out all the deeper meanings and nuances of the teachings of Jesus and apply them to my life.

…..I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.  John 10:10

Buckle up!  How many times did I say that after sliding into the driver’s seat of my mini-van with the kids all settled in the back seats?,  Then the kids got old enough to say, “But, you’re not buckled mom!”  (This was before seat belt laws.)  I’d reach over, grab the seat belt and click it in while saying, “Yes I am.”  With everyone buckled up I would back out of the drive way and we would begin our journey for the day.  But, we didn’t go anywhere until everyone was buckled up for safety.

I’m sure you have heard the phrase,  “If you want to walk on water, you have to get out of the boat.”    When the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water, only Peter stepped out of the boat to walk with Jesus.  The Bible doesn’t say why.  We presume it is because Peter was the impetuous one, the one to do things without thinking.  When Jesus said, “Come”, Peter got up, climbed over the edge of the boat and walked on water.  As far as we know the other disciples never walked on water like Peter did. But, think about it, what did Peter need before he climbed out of the boat?  Faith.  We know that because when Peter began to sink Jesus said, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

When I hear the voice of Jesus say, “Come”, what do I say or do?  Do I excitedly get out of the boat and walk on water like Peter did?  Or do I hesitate?  Afraid to get out of the boat; the boat that is keeping me safe.

Matthew 6:33 tells us, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.”    To put God first above everything else requires faith.  Faith to believe that God will take care of everything else.  Before Peter stepped out of his own man-made safety of the boat to walk with Jesus in the storm he needed faith to believe that Jesus could make it happen.  Before I can experience the impossible life God wants to give me I have to buckle on faith.  Only then am I capable of not worrying about what will happen when I step out of the boat to walk with Jesus when He says, “Come.”