When I was four years old, I loved when my mom would walk me down to the local shopping plaza. It was not the walk or the shopping that attracted me. Instead, I looked forward to placing my dime into the coin slot that would bring the mechanical horse or boat to life. On a good day, I would actually get a ride on both.
I thought those rides were amazing, but it was not long before I realized that, although they were animated, they really went nowhere. All the dimes I could muster would still leave me sitting atop a fake horse or inside a fake boat right in front of the store where I began. I quickly realized that while there was activity, there was really no adventure.
Years later, I would get the opportunity to ride a real horse and, yes, experience the pain of being thrown to the ground. My head still aches when I think of it. I would also enjoy the rush of the wind in my face as I took my first speed boat ride, hanging on for dear life as the boat made its way across the water. These experiences were not nearly as safe as my coin operated rides, but they were real and even the fears, bruises and white knuckles were signs of the adventure.
Jesus’ disciples knew similar adventures and like many of us let their fears restrict the awesome power of their experience. On one occasion, they were in a boat crossing the Sea of Galilee and Jesus was sleeping in the back. As they were making their way across, a storm formed and soon they were battling to keep their world in order. Chaos was all around them and they feared for their very lives, yet their leader was resting peacefully in the stern.
When the situation finally became too overwhelming, they woke Jesus asking him, “Don’t you care that we’re about to die?” Jesus saw their fear and the storm that was raging on the water. He stood, challenged them to strengthen their faith, and then spoke to the storm. “Peace, be still,” he said, and immediately the storm subsided. The disciples were in awe and wondered just who he was that even the wind and the waves obeyed him.
It is true that the disciples witnessed an amazing miracle as Jesus calmed the storm, but they missed out on the adventure of riding out the storm knowing that the Savior was with them in the boat. There was a great story to tell, but just imagine the greater story of living through the adventure of a lifetime with faith in the power of the Son of God to see them through.
Sometimes, we would rather settle for fake experience, rather than face the fear of the real thing, but when we do, we end up going nowhere and missing the adventure. Life with Jesus is an amazing adventure and we are invited to join him on a faith-filled ride that will rival any other experience. It will require us to set aside the safety of our predictable experiences and step into the unknown. It will call on us to risk in ways we never expected, and it will cause us to stir up all of our faith in the One whom we call, “Lord,” in order to see it through to the end. But, white-knuckled and faith-filled, we will have an amazing adventure with the One who will see us through. We are being extended the opportunity to accept the awesome adventure of a disciple of Jesus. The experience will be worth it, and oh, the stories we will have to tell as we share the experience with the risen Christ.
Will you say, “yes,” to his invitation to go with him?
