So our wireless connection decided to cut out tonight for whatever odd reason, and so it's been an almighty scramble to get this post up. For the record, I am currently mooching off of a random neighbors wi-fi signal, which is something I've never done, but drastic situations call for um sketchy measures, haha. Neighbor, I hope you forgive me this one time... <br><br>I was inspired for this piece, either last week or a couple of weeks back, when I was chatting with my pastor about certain anxieties I've been having about this project, "Unpackaging Christianity". I've been a religious person my entire life (or at least was raised to be one and strived to be one), and even though I've been introduced to Jesus and knew the Bible almost inside and out, I was still very much distanced from him (or at least didn't realize the possibility or the need to know him in a personal manner); it's been all about what I can do right and how well I can do it which merited the love and the favor of this god, which still has its lingering stains here and there even now that He's broken those chains off me and have introduced me to proper freedom. It's this performance anxiety that is so embedded in me that gives my identity a good battering, especially in the context of JesusBranded (how well the designs do, how many comments they get, does it look good, do people like it, is it spiritual enough, is it theologically watertight, etc) and it takes a daily renewal of my perspective for me to press into His heart to get a rightful view of who I am (which is why the past handful of posts have been centered alot on being the Beloved). As I talked through my issues, I told Joey (my pastor) that oftentimes it's when I start looking at the impossibilities around me that I begin eroding my sense of self and start honoring my problems more than I honor His presence in me. He responded by paralleling what I had just said with Peter's misadventures with walking on water- how everything was gravy until he gave attention to the enormity of the storm around him. That story so cleanly illustrates that in the kingdom of Heaven, Jesus breaks what our conceptions of "normal" and "possible" are and shows us that through Him we are meant to invade the normalcies of this reality and overcome them, in the same way Peter walked on water as He kept his faith in the One who called him to "Come, and not be afraid." However, it also illustrates how we're so easily intimidated back into our boundaries of this reality because we don't actually have enough faith to dare that we are called to walk in the impossible- and I hate saying the words "we don't have enough faith" because it sounds like it's placing all responsibility on our court when it comes to faith, but that's another conversation for another time- but in Peter's case, he was already doing what was impossible until he saw what was going on around him and adhered to the fact that humans don't in fact walk on water, and that these waves and winds are in fact bigger than him, so consequently he should in fact sink. I don't exactly know if those were his thoughts (how could I?) but in the light of the way humanity functions, we're always more likely to believe in what has been handed down to us as "how things are" instead of daring to step out in faith that what has been deemed as impossible may in fact not actually be impossible at all- Before this gets any more confusing, I'll just go ahead and hide behind scripture for safety's sake: "...with man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God..." (Mark 10:27), "...that you may be filled to the measure of all the fulness of God... Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us..." (Ephesians 3: 19-20)<br><br>Ok, so the point being: a couple of weeks ago I started to fall apart because it was much easier to look at my debts, my weird issues, my personal failures, and my overall ugliness than to keep my gaze on Him who calls me the "apple of his eye" (Psalm 17) and put my faith in Him and His words. As Joey was telling me about Peter's water debacle I kinda started to space out (sorry Joe, this is just how it works in my head, I promise I was listening) and this image popped into my head, and so I've kept it in there until I finally put it to paper today. The intended verse mash-up was longer than what I could fit, so I've shortened it, but here is the originally intended one that I pulled inspiration from: "Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you (Pr 4) and know where your help comes from: the Maker of heaven and earth will watch your comings and goings for the rest of your days (Ps 121). When the winds snatch my gaze from you and the waves roar over me (Mt 14), you command them, 'This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt.' (Job 38) You still the storms to a whisper, the waves to a hush (Ps 101) and your outstretched arm intervenes to save me from the depths."<br><br>So I guess even though all human logic points to sinking, I'll dare in faith to get out of the boat and go to him who calls me by name; after all, I'm only following in his footsteps, so why not brave already charted waters? Let's see where this goes. 2009-07-02T09:48:55Z 3 23 35 /images/090702ChartedWaters-990.jpg /images/090702ChartedWaters-640.jpg /images/090702ChartedWaters-244.jpg JesusBranded needs a floatie after almost drowning with this Christian T-shirt on 59 7 59 /images/090702ChartedWaters-shirts.jpg 2009-07-02T10:01:48Z chartedwaters 2009