Peter and the Storms of Life

When the apostles first saw the savior walking on the water toward them, they were frightened. But, once the Lord told them who he was and not to fear, Peter’s immediate response was “Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.” As I think about that response, I try to put it into modern terms. In my life, storms sometimes rage. Whether it is drama natural to the life of a young single adult or major and all encompassing difficulties, storms rage. In my little boat of sanity, that can be thrashed in the waves, I sometimes don’t understand how to escape the encompassing storm, until I realize that the one who can and wants to save me, is waiting for me to hear Him, to recognize that he is just outside of my boat.

I wondered if Peter’s response, “if”, was asking for a sign rather than exercising faith, but I feel that that is actually just his desire to run to the Lord, the part of Peter that had just great faith that he knew the impossible was possible for something so important. Being human, however, Peter began to sink when fear rose back up and pushed away that child like faith. The Lord “immediately” grabs him and asks why he would doubt. Peter had the faith it took to step out of the boat, but the moment he took his focus off of the Lord and onto the distractions of the world happening around him, it was not strong enough to withstand the currents pushing against him.

Doctrine and Covenants section 88 verse 67 says, “And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things.” The point of this life is to get better at it. Peter’s first reaction was the reaction I would hope to have and to keep in all of my distressing times. However, it is not always how I react. Sometimes I take a while to recognize that I am not alone (that’s usually when I get the most dramatic about things…), but only when I hear Him calling, “Be of good cheer, it is I! Be not afraid!” do I finally figure it out.