With each breath, life.
Stepping forward
Into the fresh, cool air.
That feeling in the air,
It’s all around.
Rock of ages,
For the ages,
From the ages.
Layer upon layer,
Lines of grandeur.
Moments of mist,
Moments of majesty.
Sounds of water flowing,
Then its rush within sight.
Rolling over, dripping down,
Passing through,
Gentle like the breeze.
Invigorating, enthralling,
Comforting, to the soul,
Soothing to one’s spirit.
“It is the spirit that gives life…” – Jn 6:63
To rest easy,
As you go.
Rest easy,
As you work.
Rest easy,
As you play.
Rest easy,
Here and now.
Rest easy,
In each moment.
Rest easy,
Rest assured,
Rest in Light and Love,
Rest in Peace.
Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light. – Matthew 11:28-30
With current day events, we hear and see a great deal about witnesses and influence or power. Yet, oftentimes, information can be skewed or lacking in merit, but still repeated and passed along as fact. This isn’t a new problem, though. Perhaps it is more rampant, but nonetheless it has always been the case that for any situation, it is best when sifted through more than once and held in context, but also alongside openness to truth, no matter what, and a desire to earnestly look at the entire picture. This cannot be done with a battlefield attitude or a mindset of “me against you” or “us against them.”
In chapter twelve of the letter to the Hebrews, St. Paul encourages the people as brothers and sisters, which is the way that he usually refers to the intended recipients of his letters and preaching, to let go of the things that hold them back, and to take comfort, draw strength, and be inspired by the example and sacrifice of Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior. He starts out this passage reminding his audience of who they really are—brothers and sisters. Then, another reminder when he writes, “Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses…” It’s interesting to pause there and not only sit with that image, but also reflect upon it in a personal way. Who is in your cloud of witnesses? How have they influenced you? And you them? Also, what is behind that influence?
Brothers and sisters:
Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us
and persevere in running the race that lies before us
while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus,
the leader and perfecter of faith. – Hebrews 12:1-2
That which was spoken long ago,
Holds true still, even in this day and age.
Peace, it dwells within,
And cannot come from that which is external.
Listen to Paul, who once was murderous Saul,
Filled with conviction,
Really hate, disguised as a passion he thought was right.
The Lord opened his heart,
Corrected his vision,
And led him to turn from his ways.
His conviction remained.
His passion transformed,
From one that was steal.
Redeemed one might say,
By the Way that is true,
By the One who is always waiting,
For the other to come around.
Peace is about embracing possibilities,
Seeking Grace and gratitude,
Being open to ways that differ,
And accepting differences,
Without surrendering to them.
Peace comes in discovery
As well as in re-discovery,
In going out into the world,
Remembering in whose image all are created,
Holding true to oneself,
And allowing others to do the same.
Peace, it dwells within,
But its effects go well beyond.
And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful. – Col 3:15
The intricate pattern of the cross and its reflection in the mirror called out, as if to say, there are many sides, some smooth… some sharp… some in between, to each and everything under the sun. Also, there are many directions. However, at the center, there is always Truth. The question is whether or not there is a desire to see it. Is there a desire to acknowledge and dwell with it in the presence of all that surrounds it? Is time and space allowed for coming to the place of knowledge from which life truly springs regardless of circumstances?
On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”
Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”
But he said to them,
“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples
that are not written in this book.
But these are written that you may come to believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and that through this belief you may have life in his name. – John 20:19-31
As a young child I recall being afraid to swim after seeing the movie about a great white shark that was striking terror along the shores of the fictional town of Amity Island. As I think back on it now, I find it rather funny because at that time the bulk of my swimming was in an in-ground pool. Still though, there was a drain at the bottom of the pool and my young mind could envision the possibility of some creature getting in through it and pulling me down into the great abyss that was the deep end of the pool. As impossible as it might have been for what I imagined to occur, as a child I was genuinely afraid of this; it was very real to me.
In the Gospel passage where Jesus walks on water, the disciples are described as being “terrified” and we are told, “they cried out in fear,” at the sight of what they initially perceived to be a ghost. They had already been startled by their boat being rocked around by powerful winds in the pre-dawn hours of the day. Then, with an already heightened sense of apprehension, they see something walking toward them… on the water!
Whether young, old, or in between, we all have things that frighten us. Like the disciples, we are all prone to becoming even more unsettled once already unnerved. This is why it is so important to strive to be centered, and to recognize when we are not.
The disciples learn that it is Jesus who is walking toward them and they hear his words, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Perhaps they are at least temporarily reassured. However, Peter checks the situation out a little further. “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” Peter believes if Jesus commands something of him, no matter what it is it will be possible for him to do it… and it is, but only so long as Peter stays focused on the Lord. Once he becomes distracted, just like us, he falters. Still though, he does not sink all the way, and neither do we. When we call out, the Lord is there to catch us, to set us on our feet again, to show us the way, and to save us from all that would seek to do us in.
Sometimes it can be challenging to know in what direction to proceed and how to receive and respond to the world around us. Rest assured though, when our inner compass is set on the Lord, we can and will find our way.
After he had fed the people, Jesus made the disciples get into a boat
and precede him to the other side,
while he dismissed the crowds.
After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
When it was evening he was there alone.
Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,
was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.During the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them walking on the sea.
When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.
“It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear.
At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter said to him in reply,
“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come.”Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.
But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;
and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter,
and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
After they got into the boat, the wind died down.Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,
“Truly, you are the Son of God.” – Matthew 14:22-33
HopeThatFloats 
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