Weary and Wet

The story of Peter walking on the water in the Gospel of Matthew is a mere 11 verses long.  It takes less than a minute to read the whole story.  I wonder how long it felt to Peter?  How many minutes did Peter and the disciples battle the storm before Jesus showed up?  How much time were they arguing about whether it was a ghost or the Loch Ness Monster?  How long did it take for Peter to work up the courage to ask to be invited out on the water?  Once on the water how long did he walk before he cried out for help?

I won't really know the answers till my walk on water is done and I walk on solid streets of clear gold.  But the current walk is getting old!  I feel bad saying that since I am not really in desperate straights yet.  I still have a job for two weeks and even after I leave my position here the church will be paying me a severance package.  But the role of "lame duck" is much harder than I expected!  And ducks float on water!  I am weary with constant concern over where I am heading even though I know God holds my future.  I am wet with the spray of possible futures which have no solid substance.  It seems that the walk is so long!

As I write those words, I also realize that Jesus is watching over and blessing my walk.  The severance pay is twice what I was expecting, the work I am doing is satisfying as I finish it, and the people of the church have been very encouraging.  Last Thursday I had one saint tell me that she was praying that I would be blessed by God in the same measure that I had blessed the church.  I quipped that a prayer like that can be taken two ways, but I was truly encouraged by her love.  On Sunday morning another member of the church encouraged me with words of appreciation and love.  Yesterday I was told that my sermon on Sunday was powerful and very helpful by two separate people.

In writing the above paragraph, my load seemed to get lighter.  I am not as weary or wet as I was in starting this blog.  It reminds me of the hymn "Count Your Blessings".  I just looked it up.  Here is the first verse:

Count Your Blessings

When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings, name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

I guess I'm not the first person to walk on water and get weary and wet!  Suddenly the duck isn't so lame anymore!