My Adventure in Getting Out Of The Boat...Monday. (Part 1)

5/26/14

I hope you enjoy the following story written by my 22 year old daughter. As she describes her personal challenge to fully trust God, my heart understands her struggle, relates to her fear, her delight and her failure.

"This is my command--be strong and courageous!

 Do not be afraid or discouraged.

For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

Joshua 1:9 NLT

The Adventure (Part 1) by Lizzy Wilkins

So I'm in a boat. I've been here for quite a while and I really like my boat. But sometimes I park the boat and go out to explore the land and houses. Wishing I lived a different kind of life. However, I always end up back in my boat. For food, I fish. I don't really like fishing and I don't have a lot of patience, so I don't do it as much as I should. This means I get pretty hungry sometimes.

After a period of diligently fishing and never going ashore, my BFF came by. I've known Him for forever. He also visits other boats, which gives me hope that I am not the only person living in a boat out here.

"Would you like to know why you are living in a boat?" He asks.

"YES!" I say with excitement. I had been wanting to know for a long time, because it didn't seem fair that I was out here in a boat while other people got to sleep in their comfy houses.

He answers, "It's because you weren't supposed to live in a boat."

I am so thrilled, "I get a house! You're telling me this now!?"

He laughed, "No. You've been living in a boat so that you could become connected to the water and learn the patterns of the waves. So that one day, you could walk on water."

Now I'm thinking He's cray cray. I mean, He walks on water, which is how He visits me and the other boats. But I don't think sleeping in a boat has prepared me to step out of it.

"Don't worry," He says, "I'm going to be right here."

"Okay," I say. To prepare for getting out of the boat I fish for a little while; and eat. Then I climb up on the edge and look down at the waves, at Him. And I Step.

I don't know what I thought would happen, but I actually stood on the waves.

"Hahaha! I'm doing it!" I shouted.

"Yes, you are." He said smiling ear to ear. "Now the key is," He explained, "Just keep looking at me, don't look at the waves, or try to peek in the other boats, just stay focused on me."

"Okay" I say, thinking this is going to be easier than I thought, just keep looking at Him.

We walk for quite a while, when I begin to worry about how I will sleep. But I shook it off because I figured my BFF had me covered and would have me back at my boat in time for bed. So we walked more, and we talked about things we had never talked about, and I laughed in a way I had never laughed. It was as if I had never truly known Him, or like I had been missing out on the greatest parts of Him.

We walked for days, each hour I became hungry and more tired. I didn't say anything; because it appeared to me He never ate, so I just kept walking. But as each hour passed I was getting angrier. Why wasn't he worried about me? Why didn't He ask if I was hungry, or if I wanted to rest?

I snapped, "I'm going home!"

With a face full of concern, He simply asked,  "Why?"

"Because you don't take care of me!" I exclaimed, "You don't care what happens to me! You take me out of my boat and insist that I walk for days, but You never feed me or ask if I want to rest, You just keep going!"

Very calmly he replies, "Well, you kept walking. Why didn't you tell Me you were hungry? Why didn't you ask Me to stop and rest?"

I am frustrated, "Well ...BECAUSE! You should have known!"

"How can I give you what you don't ask for?"

"Ugh! I'm going back."

"You may rest and eat."

"No! You're too late. I want to go back to my boat!"


As I turn away to stomp off, I feel my feet get wet.

"Wait," He calls after me, "Remember, you have to focus on Me."

I look over my shoulder and snap, "Yeah, look where that got me: hungry and tired."

(To be continued)

Written by
Lizzie Wilkins

Posted by
Mary Wilkins