Cosy Borders & Walking on Water

‘Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders,

Let me walk upon the water,

Wherever you would call me…’

It’s one of those songs that causes a prickle of anxiety every time the worship band starts to strum out the opening chords. Oceans. Am I prepared to sing these words? Am I really going to ask the Spirit to lead me where my trust is without borders? I love borders! I spend a great deal of time, money and mental capacity on the upkeep of the borders in my life, from ridiculously expensive security systems, to the endless safety audits my OCD brain likes to conduct for any given situation.

But it hasn’t always been like this. There was a time when I jumped on a plane at under a week's notice and sped off to a refugee camp that needed feet on the ground. It was on the border of Libya, you could see the smoke plumes from Tripoli and I knew I was putting my life in danger to be God’s hands and feet. God led me to a border to discover the place where my trust had none.  I was not prepared for this adventure, I fired off a message to my friend: ‘Am going to a refugee camp…have no shoes.’ My 19 year old self had no appropriate footwear to be tromping around the desert planes but I had the faith.

God led me to border to discover the place where my trust had none.

Ironically, these days I have the shoes, however, my faith is less readily available. I have a family and a mortgage, a few more years of adulthood under my belt teaching me to be cautious and I find stepping out of my comfort zone, well, uncomfortable. I’m working on it, I’m trying to see past the fog of fear and recalling what happens on the other side, once you’ve taken the step. Grace, guidance, deepening faith, total surrender, rest even!

When Peter stepped out of the boat he not only experienced the unfathomable, miraculous sensation of walking on the water; an experience that would open his eyes to the capacity and power of Jesus Christ ("Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!" Mark 4:41). But he also experienced placing himself completely in God’s hands, surrendering control and trusting Jesus to get him through this. And do you know what? Even when it hit the fan and Peter started to sink, what he’d learnt in theory was put to the test, Jesus saved him.

I pray that in whatever storm you face, you are able to find peace in the knowledge that Jesus is with you with his hand outstretched.

Much love, Fi