I love the story of Peter and Jesus walking on the water together. As I was rereading it in Matthew 14, a detail stood out to me that I never noticed before: Peter hopped out of the boat in the middle of a wind storm:

The boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them . . . So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.

Peter leaps to the edge of the boat, straining against the wind. He swings both legs over, hovering over the water at first, and then puts his full weight on his feet. The rest of the disciples gasp and whisper together as Peter walks on the water.

But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”

Despite the amazing miracle he’s involved in, Peter becomes distracted by the wind. How often are we distracted from what God is doing in our lives by something trivial?

Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

I love how Jesus immediately stretches beyond himself to steady Peter. Jesus didn’t wait until Peter drowned or sit back until the timer on his wristwatch struck a minute. He reached out immediately.

And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

Once we’re able to look over the edge of the boat and see the ripples of our footsteps marking where God led us, we realize, suddenly, that which we fear is merely a gust and shadow. We see the wind for what it truly is: a noisy breath of air, a distraction, and it no longer holds power over us.

What distracts you from focusing what God is doing in your life?

*Photo courtesy of here