When God Shows Up: Real Stories of FaithНамуна

Marcus*

"...Then Peter called to him, 'Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.'" Matthew 14:18, NLT

Marcus moved across the country to live with his aunt (whom he had never met) when he was six years old. By the time he was a teenager, he struggled to trust anyone. “When I did trust somebody,” he says, “they would always turn their back on me and I would always get burned.” He dropped out of school in ninth grade and quickly became depressed. He found it difficult to leave his house.

In his isolation, even his basic needs, like fixing his broken glasses, went unmet.

Have you ever noticed in the Gospel story that Peter acts alone? At the time, the boat doesn’t feel particularly safe. But life experience and logic tell him that it’s safer than being in (or on!) the water. The boat is safer than the sea with one major exception: Jesus.

Peter gets out of the relative safety of the boat alone. But this is what was required for him to walk on water.

For Marcus, the opportunity to be supported by a small group of mentors through Stand in the Gap’s Life Launch program sounded more than intimidating, it sounded almost impossible. But he did it anyway. He left his comfort zone. And over time, over games of basketball, meals at restaurants, inside jokes, concerts, and family dinners together, something big began to build in Marcus. Trust.

Today, his Life Launch team is like his family. They celebrated his graduation from high school and the growth they’ve seen in Marcus’s self-confidence.

What step of faith might God be asking you to take alone? Even if it feels lonely, do you think you are really alone? Also note, Peter does let the wind and the waves draw him below the water, but his simple prayer, “Save me, Lord,” provokes an immediate response from Jesus. Is there any area where you are failing and need to pray this prayer?

*Name changed to protect privacy