Walking on Water

The First Leg

Pennsylvania State Route 11 & 15 North parallels the Susquehanna River so closely in some places that you could reach out and touch it. Dotted with an odd mix of sketchy truck stops, abandoned motels, quilt shops and the occasional horse and buggy, the route never gets old.

Who Needs a GPS? Sheesh!

It was the first leg of our overnight adventure, to a state park that prides itself on having “the darkest skies east of the Mississippi”.  Inside the family Explorer, my 12 year old son and I chatted excitedly about the various pit-stops I planned along this 3.5 hour journey.  I had a general idea of how to get there, but used the GPS as a backup. Things went great. Until Williamsport.  

One Wrong Turn

At a critical junction, I ignored the command to go left, and followed my derelict instincts to go straight. Five miles later, after repeated pleas from my phone to turn around, I acquiesced. By then, however, we were so far off the grid, that I pulled into the driveway of an abandoned farm, and tried to find an alternate route on my phone. No cell service.

Only by divine intervention was I able to find our way to the historic Route 6, where we were charmed by each town we passed through. We made it to the hotel before dark, and our detour was no scarier than the back roads from our hotel to Cherry Springs State Park where we thought the legendary Squatch would jump out at any minute.  

It was good to make the best of things in the moment, but what had we missed if we stayed on course and had listened to the voice that knew a few things about directions?  And in light of todays soaring gas prices, how much gas would we have saved?

The (Loose) Parallel in God’s Word

Mathew tells the story in Chapter 14 of how Jesus walked on water to reach the boat where the disciples were waiting for him. They all think he’s a ghost, and even when Jesus says who he is, Peter asks that he prove it by asking Jesus to call him over. In response, Jesus says “come”.  Peter gets out of the boat, walks towards Jesus, becomes fearful of the waves around him, and starts to sink. “Lord, save me!” Jesus reached out his hand, and caught him saying, “You of little faith. Why did you doubt?”

The Pandemic

Five months later, In March of 2020, when the pandemic shut down the entire country, I was like Peter, asking God to prove Himself to me. Instead of digging into His word, and writing in obedience, I locked myself in my sewing room, making face masks like a modern-day Rosie the Riveter.  Of course it benefited many; it was a good cause, but self-importance became bigger than the mission.

But Then, a Shift…

By the summer, though, I let the sewing room go dark. God reached out his hand, and offered me enough clarity to find ways to spend meaningful time with my kids in other amazing spots in Pennsylvania. Those trips opened up a quest into my family’s ancestry, and spawned more conversations with my kids than I could have ever had at a fancy resort or amusement park.

There are, of course other fears that knock me around and cause me to doubt.  Like how, we are ever going to move on after my mother-in-law’s passing. Or worrying about what other people think of me. Fear, also…like a tsunami, causes me to take my eyes off of Him.

Lets Talk About It

So, what’s your storm? What keeps you from keeping your eyes focused on Jesus?  God may not present Himself in physical form, but He offers us tools over 2,000 years later. Reading the gospels, where the hope-filled words of Jesus are written, is a good place to start. Set a timer for 15 minutes and sit in silence. Invite God there. Or maybe you need to walk into a church, perhaps alone, for the first time. (I know, that’s scary!)   Or maybe you haven’t made that first step in putting your faith in Jesus. Send me an email at janetlewisrichey@gmail.com, and we can chat about it. Or check out this resource.

www.gotquestions.org

 I encourage you to put your blinders on, and ignore the waves. Or maybe, like me getting lost in the wilds of Pennsylvania, you need to swallow your pride, and just follow the only map that matters.