There come times where we are revealed or drawn to a certain relevant Jesus promise perhaps about who we are, or who we are not; about how to treat other people; about our being saved through grace; about our belovedness, but where our actual experiencing of this revelation, is void.

I think sometimes it’s quite simple (though equally important) to get our *head* around a promise that speaks to us. But, it’s another thing entirely, to choose to step out of our little boat on to the water – on the premise that these promises aren’t hear-say, but that they indeed stand true.

A failure or a rejection often tries to squash me, to stop my pursuit, to get me to hide in the boat. It’s right here, where I’m huddled in the boat, held down by the storm of who I have failed to be, that there almost always comes a voice on the wind that whispers something contrary. It’s wonderful how that voice comes so faithfully – so very attentive of my situation. I think that voice is a little like our head-knowing of his promises – we need that; for that voice is what and who calls us out.

But we also need more than that; to make the brave (and sometimes painful) choice to step in response to that voice. It’s painful, because the boat is strangely safe when you’re more familiar with the messages of your well documented failures; to step out is a total stepping into the mystery, and not only that but it is the insanity of doing it to supposedly ‘walk on water.’

This, I wonder, has less to do with being called to do something than it does with being called to be something. He might be calling us out less for the reason that we can attain some sort of medal of achievement, and more so that we can be called to actually live more freely, less burdened.

Indeed, the voice calls, but we too must dare to answer, to respond to the wild call. We must dare to live as though he is not just words on a page, but a living, breathing God, calling us out on the premise of love, not force – to carry on living beneath his love, rather than hiding behind our failure.

by Anne-Marie Brown
2nd year Counselling student