The Empty Boat

A few weeks ago, Steve Thomas and I started talking about building a prayer garden on Lewisville’s Salvation Army property that he manages. It is a perfect spot – the gateway to Old Town Lewisville, adjacent to the Main Street sidewalk, built around the 9′ tall cross we constructed last year. The cross is a reminder of God’s perfect love, and the prayer garden would be an invitation to come and spend time with Him.

The timing was terrible though. Steve was exhausted by relief efforts in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. My salary had been reduced due to the economic uncertainty and I was simultaneously hit by unexpected, major home repairs. The crowds that used to flock to community serving events were all on lockdown in an effort to control the contagion. Outside work was nearly impossible due to the dangerously high summer temperatures in north Texas.

It was a perfect storm.

However, the more I thought about it and prayed for guidance, the stronger the calling became. In the midst of the storm, the need for God in our lives seems more evident than ever. When waves crash and lightning flashes, we instinctively raise our eyes to Him and pray for mercy. When miracles are needed, we reach out to Him.

My desire was to honor Him and build a beautiful place for Him to spend time with my neighbors. Ironically, only He had the money, the ability to provide the time, and power over the weather that were needed for my gift to Him. If I wanted to glorify Him, my first step had to be to trust Him to provide.

In faith, I stepped from the comfort of the boat into the storm raging around me.

The familiar story of Jesus walking on the water is told in Matthew 14:22-32. The disciples are alone in a boat in the middle of the night when a storm blows in. The strong wind and waves threaten to destroy them all when they see Jesus walking toward them on top of the storm. Peter stepped out of the boat and began to walk toward Jesus. However, he became distracted by his circumstances, took his eyes off of Jesus, and began to sink into the sea. Jesus reached out, lifted him up, climbed into the boat with him, and the storm stopped.

It is a story of Jesus’ total authority over this world. It is also a story of our power when we trust in Jesus. Peter’s display is impressive even if it was short-lived.

I imagine an alternate ending to the story. It begins the same way – the terrified disciples are in their boat which appears likely to capsize at any moment. Lightning tears across the sky, thunder booms, and waves crash violently into the tiny vessel. In fear, they hold onto their seats and the boat’s edge as tightly as possible, until Peter stands up and begins to climb out of the boat.

In this fictional version, John shouts out, “Peter, what are you doing?”

Peter looks back over his shoulder and replies, “This boat isn’t safe, I’m going to stand with Jesus.”

Then John stands up and grabs Peter’s arm to stabilize both of them as the boat rocks fiercely and says, “You’re right. I’m going with you.”

Realizing what they were doing, James shouts, “Wait for me!”

One at a time, each of the disciples releases their hold on the boat, locks arms together, and steps onto the sea. They walk together toward the Savior. At first cautiously, then inspired by their success, they let go of each other and dance in celebration as they come closer to Jesus. The empty boat bounces away in the background, no longer relevant.

In my fantasy, Peter never sank because his friends encouraged him in his faith. Together, they all walked on the water. Although these heroes didn’t actually stand together on that day, it wasn’t long before they did, facing threats much scarier than splashing water.

Building a prayer garden in this stormy season seems crazy. In many ways, I am doing well to keep my head above water. My faith is occasionally strong but as unreliable as Peter’s. I will admit to being scared as I took my first step with my eyes on Jesus. But my story will end like my fictional version above because of the strength of my friends.

When I first stood up, Kim stood with me. She never questioned our finances or how much time would be required. Always at my side, her eyes never left Jesus.

Although I had the concept to build a prayer garden, I had no vision of what it should look like. When I went on-site to brainstorm, Carra stepped out of the boat with me. Together, we developed a vision that is guiding us forward.

When I couldn’t see a pathway to achieve the vision, Steve Hermann climbed out of the boat. Cooperatively, we are mapping out the tasklist.

When the work seemed endless, Hank took his first step onto the water. In the melting heat, my partner has been there every step. The joy he brings assures me that he has kept his eyes focused on his redeemer.

When the mission required more hands, Columba and Steve Thomas stood and joined us. This weekend, we need to move 2,000 pounds of concrete benches into position. When the task sounded daunting, my friend Barron hopped out of the boat.

Others will inevitably join us until the protection of the boat seems absurd. As a family of believers, we strengthen each other to keep our eyes on God and trust him with our protection. The storm will pass sooner or later. My joy is in my Savior and my friends who share his spirit. Regardless of the storm, our future lies with him.

My dream is to look back and see an empty boat floating away, no longer needed by anyone.

One of my greatest blessings is the amazing people that God has placed in my life. Whether or not you are named in this short post, my thanks to you cannot be spoken enough. Your loyal support keeps me focused, and I hope that I offer the same to you. Encouraging each other, we realize that nothing is impossible. We walk on water today and we will soar with eagles tomorrow.

If you would like to join in the effort to build our prayer garden, there are a lot of jobs still to be done. After the benches this weekend, we install a large rock that flows water, then we lay ground cover, and finally plant all the greenery that makes it beautiful. If labor isn’t your thing, donations to Unashamed Missions are welcomed.

Prayer warriors, please come and christen the site. Our first bench is waiting for you.

Skill sets aren’t important, we welcome the passion that marks each Water Walker.

To see progress, the address is 206 West Main Street, Lewisville. Check it out!