“It is I”

            But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. (Mt 14:27-29)

Peter asked for a mission impossible. “Command me to come to you on the water.” What was he possibly thinking? What gave Peter the courage to attempt this unprecedented feat? He wasn’t looking for a thrill. He wasn’t trying to impress. What stirred Peter’s incredible boldness were Jesus’ words, “It is I.” If it is the Lord, there was no reason to fear; everything would be all right. If it hadn’t been Jesus on the other side, walking on water would never have crossed Peter’s mind. But it was Jesus, and that was enough for Peter to go for the impossible.

When my daughter was two, she did something that her timid and cautious nature would never have let her do. I placed her at the top of a flight of stairs, stood behind her, and asked her to fall backwards into my arms. Hesitant at first, and turning around a few times to make sure I was still there, she did what I asked. After a couple of successful falls, she loved it, and asked to play it every time afterwards.

No stranger could have made her do this. Because it was dad’s arms — the arms that rocked her to sleep, held her up to play and wrapped around her when she cried — she let her little body fall backwards with full confidence that I would definitely catch her.

We are afraid when we do not trust. We can’t trust when we don’t know the one we’re trusting. Who is God to you? How strong is your bond with Him? When He says, “It is I,” do you feel assured that you can only land in His arms of love?

Walking with God and experiencing Him daily deepen our trust in Him. When He says, “It is I,” our hearts will leap with joy. When we have learned first-hand that He never fails, we will not fear when He says, “Come.” As we respond to His call and put our feet out onto the tempestuous sea, a miracle is just about to begin.

 

            Question for Reflection:

How much of your life do you entrust to God, especially when the going gets tough?