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“If you are not living on the edge, you are taking too much room." I remember hearing this quote a while ago. I don’t think I truly grasped the meaning of this contemporary proverb until very recent. As I think back to people who have made the greatest contribution to life and society, I realize they were always risk-takers. Even though these people always received my greatest admiration, that’s all they could get from me. I would never think of joining their ranks.

Last year at my daughter’s college graduation, the main speaker talked about using your creativity and imagination to get the most out of life. As I listened to her wisdom, I thought it was great advice to the graduates who were sitting there. Of course they were not words that I could take to heart. I was way too old to change my mediocrity now.

However today, one year later, as I was reading in the Gospel of Matthew, (Matthew 14:22-36) I felt the Lord saying to me, "Pat, come to me. Really come to Me. Get out of the boat and come". I felt resistance rise in my spirit. Why after all these years of reading this familiar text, did I sense a new urgency in the inner core of my being? Could God possibly want something new from me? Can’t I just sit in the boat and claim safety? What if a storm is brewing?

Even with all my resistance, His soft and gentle nudging came through as He continued to speak to me. I have to admit to all of you, it’s a pretty scary thought to thinking about getting out of the boat. For I know I will find myself in waters I have never before treaded.

Maybe He’s asking the same of you. Maybe this is a time in our world that the safety nets must be thrown overboard, so that the only security we have is Him. Maybe following Christ means we are willing to go anywhere He wants us to go, and do anything He wants us to do.

So I have decided to follow His lead and take the leap. Sure it will be frightful, for there probably will be times I feel like I am drowning. However, there is a comfort that I will draw on. I will not be in the waters by myself. Jesus will be right there next to me. I know sometimes I will be clinging to Him for dear life. But I'm ready to jump. How about you? In fact, I'm not even going to hold my nose!

Then Peter got down out of the boat,

Walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

But when he saw the wind, he was afraid…

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand

And caught him. “You of little faith,”

He said, “Why do you doubt?”

Matthew 14:29-31

"The Way" from Kevin Pauley

The First Sin