Faith is

Have you ever felt trapped? Felt you're going nowhere, as they say, pretty fast? Felt there was no one to talk to about it? I read about someone today who felt that way, and he sank like a rock.

The Bible tells us, "²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
²⁷ But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
²⁸ “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
²⁹ “Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

We have the tendency to trash Peter. We've all heard sermons about how he took his eye off Jesus and he sank. We've all heard the sermons that talk about Peter's lack of faith. I'm much more struck by this: Peter says, "Lord, if it's you, tell me to come to you on the water." Jesus says come (which takes faith to believe, apparently, that ghosts always tell the truth), and Peter climbs out.

That he fails, it seems to me, is inconsequential. That he tried is of great consequence.

I get criticized many times for trying something, seeing if it sticks to the wall, and going on if it doesn't. It seems to me that trying is what we have to do. Succeeding is more in the arena of the all-powerful God.

Faith is getting out of the boat with expectation. Faith is believing there is a plan and we are included in it. Faith is accepting that without Jesus we're all going to sink.