When God Shows Up: Real Stories of FaithНамуна

Kara*

"...Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves." Matthew 14:24, NLT

If Kara imagined herself in the boat in this story, she would have been focused on the waves, and she would have pictured herself alone.

As a teenager, anxiety gripped her. She describes her inability to look to the future with hope, instead dwelling on the negative. “I just thought about the worst possibility before I thought there could ever be a positive. And that’s what kept me in the house.”

Kara didn’t leave the house, even for school. She isolated herself in her depression. Her future looked bleak.

But because of her school, Kara was matched with a team of mentors through Stand in the Gap’s Life Launch program. Those women invested in Kara’s life over dinner, text messages, and meaningful relationships. They celebrated life’s big moments, helped her get ready for prom, and cheered as she gave her valedictorian speech at graduation. Kara found hope.

“You can’t do much without hope,” she says. “It’s the confidence that even when you are in a bad situation, you’ll still make it to the other side.”

Through relationships with people who cared, Kara was able to raise her eyes from the waves, loosen her grip on the edge of the boat, and see her calm and capable Savior walking on the waves.

Imagine yourself in the boat. What are the waves in your life? If your focus is on the “winds and waves”, are you able to shift your eyes to Jesus? Who in your life might be able to help you?

*Name changed to protect privacy