WELCOME TO MY FIRST BLOG POST! I’ve never had a blog before, so this is definitely something brand new to me. I’ll be posting updates on here throughout my journey with The World Race, describing my feelings, how God has been working in each country, different visions I have for upcoming events, and the impact that this journey is having on me and others around me. I am still beyond ecstatic to have this opportunity to share the love of Jesus and live it out on a daily basis. Thank you for all the support– It means the world to me!
First blog post! Here we go!
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Young Life has been a huge part of my life since my freshman year of high school. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Young Life, it is a Christian ministry working through high schools to introduce teenagers to Jesus Christ. Young Life has enabled me to meet some of the best people in my life, it led me to fully pursuing a relationship with the Lord, and it continues to bring new truths and thoughts into my life every day.
A few weeks ago at Young Life club for my school, one of the leaders stood in front of the crowd and started telling a story about Peter, one of Jesus’ closest friends and also one of his disciples. It begins in Matthew 14:22 and continues to Matthew 14:33.
Jesus had sent his disciples to cross the sea without Him, while he dismissed a crowd. As evening came, Peter and the other disciples in the boat crossing the sea were getting tossed around by furious waves and wind. In modern days, the storm they were in could be compared to a small tropical storm or even a hurricane. I can imagine that Peter and the other disciples were probably feeling overwhelmed and hopeless as the waves crashed into the boat.
In the middle of the storm, Jesus came to rescue them. As Matthew 14:25 says, “…Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.” The disciples were terrified, as they cried out, “It is a ghost!” But Jesus calmed their fear saying, “…It is I; do not be afraid.” Even Peter is hesitant to believe this is truly the man he whole –heartedly follows and calls his best friend, so Jesus asks him to take a huge step and walk on the water towards Him.
At this point, Peter had to trust Jesus 100%. He was stepping completely out of his comfort zone, his boat and shelter in this powerful storm, to walk on water, something completely unknown to him, with Jesus. I can imagine he was probably thinking “This is crazy! I don’t know what I am doing, but okay, here I am!” Sure enough, Jesus never forsakes him.
Right now, with this crazy new adventure in front of me, I feel exactly like Peter. Here I am, inside my safe little boat known as home and everything I am familiar with, getting tossed around by college applications and fear of the future. And Jesus is standing in the wind and waves, everything unknown and opposite of where I am now, asking me to step outside my boat and walk on water with Him for 9 whole months.
Just like Peter, I’m stepping outside my boat onto the sea saying, “This may be crazy and I don’t know what I am doing, but here I am.” And Jesus is standing in front of me, arms wide open, saying “Do not be afraid.”
Here I am, Lord. Send me.
