Peter. Sweet Peter. We all seem to identify with him, don’t we? His fierce devotion mixes with wavering bravery at times to produce something we can only define as “human.” I am currently taking my favorite verses of the Bible and writing them in watercolor calligraphy for my children. One of my favorite verses ever is short, and a bit odd. John 21:7 says, “As soon as Peter heard Jesus was on shore…he jumped into the water.” I have a vision of Peter running, like Forrest Gump, off the boat to welcome his friend, Lieutenant Dan! But what makes the verse so memorable is what had happened before. You see, it was PETER who once bravely had the audacity to walk out onto the water with Jesus. It was he, and only he, who knew firsthand that his Jesus could both hold him and sustain him. So it is he, and only he, who jumps out of the boat again to run to the Savior he had just days before denied. Did he think the water would again be firm and sustain him, meeting him with firm footing? Or was he just excited to see his Savior? We don’t know. What we do know is the man who has enough faith to first get out of the boat will be the first one to try it again – because he knows first-hand, above all others, that his God is able! Oh, that we may share that same faith and walk bravely to Him!
Sweet Mimosa 