Walking On Water

How often do we feel that we are up to our necks in life's problems? Sometimes we are so deep that we can't even see the surface, much less come up for air. But even when we're ten feet, a hundred feet underwater and thrashing about, we are too proud, too stubborn or too stupid to ask for help, especially from One Who could not only bring us up to the surface but pull us up to walk upon the water instead of drowning in it. Jesus Christ is not afraid or unwilling to descend to our level, and indeed, He has descended far, far below anything we could even imagine, much less sink to. But doesn't it make sense that He would much rather pull us up to His level? And if we thought of it for even half a second, wouldn't we prefer walking by His side on top of the water rather than flailing in a frenzied, hopeless panic fathoms below it? Our Savior's grace means we don't have to always slog and wade and struggle through life. We can join Him in the light and we can breathe and see and walk on top of our sorrows and pains and griefs and struggles. We can be warmed by His love and strengthened by His power and steadied when we slip and stumble by His loving arm around us. Walking on water is not as easy as walking on pavement, just as facing adversity with our Savior's grace is not as easy as enjoying a period of peace and ease. But walking on water is much easier than drowning, and confronting our challenges filled with faith and with Jesus Christ by our side is much easier than trying to face an impossible challenge without divine intervention. I know that Christ will keep us company whether we are treading water or sinking all the way to the bottom, but He would much rather we walk with Him on top of the water. It is only when we are walking on the water that Christ can truly show us the full scope and context of what the water means, and how all of it is working together for our good. Christ is the living waters, and He wants us to live on the waters and not die by choking on them. It is not cheating or selling ourselves short by joining our Savior on top of the waters. We will learn more by His side in ten minutes than we could learn by struggling on our own, without any help, in ten years.