Who leaves a stable job for a position that doesn't exist? I had to ask myself that question in 1999. And I had another question for God himself. My reading through the Gospel According to Matthew kept drawing me toward a grand adventure.
In Matthew 14 we find Jesus walking on water, catching up to the disciples who are frantically rowing their boat. When they see Jesus, they freak out, understandably. But Peter seizes the moment. He wants in on the action. He shouts out, "Lord, if it's you, tell me to come to you on the water." Jesus answers, "Come." Peter steps out of the boat onto the water, and walks toward Jesus.
So my question for the Lord was, "If it's you, call me to step out into church planting." I normally hear crickets when I ask such things of God. I expected to get a sense of, well, nothing in particular. Silence, maybe. But that's not what I sensed from God. I felt him say, "Come."
That was scary.
I was perfectly ready to abandon the whole idea and stay put a little while longer. But now I had to pursue the opportunity. I had to make actual plans, find actual funding. I had to find a house for my family. I had to find a place for a church to meet.
Somehow I missed the rest of the story, when Peter looked at the storm and freaked out himself. He started sinking and cried out, "Lord, save me!" Jesus reached out and grabbed his most famous follower and saved him.
I would soon find myself praying this prayer over and over. "Lord, save me!"
