Step

This week has been one of those weeks where I have just felt inspired. Over and over again. And it is just Wednesday.

The outline of the sun coming up over the mountains on a morning run, the overwhelming display of stars on a dark night, the consistent return of sunny days, good talks with new and old friends alike, learning challenging things in and out of school every day ...reminders that God is at work, here and now.

Yesterday was particularly inspiring as I was encouraged and challenged in multiple ways, through multiple people, to take a step.

The other day in my New Testament class we were talking about Peter. We talked about Peter and Jesus, and that day during a storm where Jesus told Peter to come out to him on the water. What I always remember about this story is that Peter began to sink once He took a couple of steps, and Jesus reminded Him to have more faith. What we talked about, though, in class was the fact that Peter took that first step.

It's craziness when you really think about it. Stepping out onto water in the middle of a big storm. I think that the fact that Peter took that first step needs to be paid more attention to. Peter took a step in faith because he knew the man that was calling him. He knew him well and he knew he could be trusted. Once he took that first step, it was not complete smooth sailing. His faith dwindled for a while, he even got wet, but he had chosen to trust a man that was trustworthy.

Jesus can be trusted. He calls us to come to Him every day. Our journey towards Him is not perfect. But He is still there, pulling us out of our comfort zones, steady and unchanging, loving and hope-giving.

It's kind of a scary time, for me and for a lot of people I know. There's a lot of change going on, I am learning a lot about myself, about the world, and about people. Through my experiences in Colorado, I am being forced to truly look into who I am and where I am taking steps towards. It is terrifyingly exciting.

Such is life, and I am glad.

The things that God puts on our hearts to do and to be can become a reality. We can have the courage to act, with His help. His grace is bigger than our most overwhelming fear.

Donald Miller contemplates life in his book A Million Miles in a Thousand Years," I've wondered, though, if one of the reasons we fail to acknowledge the brilliance of life is because we don't want the responsibility inherent in acknowledgment. We don't want to be characters in a story because characters have to move and breathe and face conflict with courage. And if life isn't remarkable, then we don't have to do any of that; we can be unwilling victims rather than grateful participants."

Jesus told Peter that day simply to come, he saved him when he sank, and he proved his trustworthiness completely.

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." -2 Corinthians 12:9