Water Water Everywhere

In the season 2 finale of The West Wing, a netwok president asks Press Secretary C.J. Cregg, "C.J., between friends...is the water over your head?"

Her response: "The water is exactly at my head."

This is how I've felt for the last week. Between a massive Greek exam, the death of a friend, the impending end of the semester, financial worries and a lack of time with my wife, I feel like things just keep getting thrown on the pile. I'm trying to figure out how I am going to squeeze in all the classes I need in order to graduate on time, and I'll echo the response of a friend regarding his personal spiritual life: "What's that?" I'm tired and discouraged and trying to wade through what seems to be an impossible next couple of weeks.

He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me." Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"
Matthew 14:29-31 (ESV)

Someone much smarter than me once said that those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it. I think I'll be playing the role of Peter in the above passage for the rest of my life. Nevertheless, this is one of my favorite passages in all of Scripture. I am a do-it-yourselfer (I come by it honestly- my Dad can pretty much do anything). This is not all bad, but it means that I have a tendency to look at the waves instead of trusting in my Father to hold me above them. Sometimes I wonder if I can walk on the water myself, or I just get so preoccupied with the waves that I start trying to devise my own solution. I can't make the Dow rise, I can't control the price of gas and I can't add two weeks to the semester so that I have time to finish everything.

I am thankful that my Provider, the One who created and sustains the world, doesn't give up on me, just like he didn't give up on Peter. I am thankful that he will provide and protect and that all I must do is trust him instead of trusting in myself. I'm learning this all over again for the first time.