You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand
In Matthew 14, Jesus is walking on the water towards his disciples. Then in verse 28 & 29 it reads,
Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” "Yes, come," replied Jesus.
Making the decision to pick up our lives and move to Honduras has not been an easy decision. We prayed constantly and sought the advice of our pastors and family. As you may have read in our bios, both Lauren and I had felt the call to live in Puerto Lempira for an extended amount of time. We had felt the call to step out of the boat and walk to Jesus, but it wasn't supposed to happen for another 2-3 years. When the time came to actually make the first step this September, it became all too real. It wasn't our timeline and didn't fit our plan. But we felt it was truly God calling us to follow him now. So we took the first step and put our feet outside the boat.
Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior
Then we gave notice at our jobs. This past week, we terminated our lease at our apartment and will have to vacate in 60 days. Each step in our journey is a step farther away from the boat, a step farther away from comfort and security. As the band United sings, we are walking into the great unknown, where we cannot walk by ourselves.
As Matthew continues writing in Chapter 14, when Peter saw the big waves and felt the strong winds, he began to sink out of his fear. He took his eyes off Jesus and became afraid.
It is a daily struggle NOT to see everything that could go wrong and why our move to Honduras can’t work. How are we supposed to pack up and sell everything that we own? How are supposed to raise $45,000? And not just this year, but we will need to raise that amount each year for the next 15-20 years! We are not just walking out on the water, but we are selling the boat behind us.
Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand
Will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed and You won't start now
Our only hope and our saving grace is to trust in the plan that God has called us to follow. Jesus calls us to keep the faith, even when the waves get bigger. It is not enough to just have the faith to step out of the boat. When fear grips us the tightest, that's when we should have the strongest faith.
But we have something that Peter did not have. Without a doubt, this is one of the best benefits of not going on this journey alone. Instead, I get to walk out in faith with my best friend, hand in hand. When I start looking at the big waves, she puts my eyes back on Jesus. When she feels the strong winds, I pull her close to keep her steady. We also have the prayers and support our of friends, family, and church. What if Peter's friends in the boat behind him had shouted encouragements to him? What if, instead of just watching, they had actively prayed for him?
Please continue to pray for us; we cannot do this alone. Pray for strength and wisdom, not just for us, but for our families as well. Pray that we receive the financial commitments necessary to serve God's children. Pray that we keep our eyes above the waves...
I will call upon Your name
Keep my eyes above the waves
My soul will rest in Your embrace
I am Yours and You are mine