Taking the Step of Faith
Illustration
Stories
Joe took a deep breath of the sea air as he walked down the ramp onto the dock. He nodded to a few of the people on the other boats as he made his way toward the empty spot where his father’s boat should have been. He looked around the small harbor but didn’t see any signs of the boat, his father, or the crew.
“Looking for someone?” A man called off from the a nearby boat.
The man seemed familiar, but Joe couldn’t place him. “I’m looking for James MacDonald’s boat.”
“The ‘Sly Winker’? They were turning around when we started to head back.”
“Is everything okay with them?”
“Yeah, just a trap had gotten twisted up and they were going to haul it in and reset it.” The man squinted a bit. “You a family member?”
“His son.”
“Joe?” The man stepped off his boat into the dock. “Lands sakes I haven’t seen you in years. You may not remember me but I’m Angus Chisholm from down the road. How are you doing?”
“Not too bad Mr. Chisholm.” Joe shook his hand and looked at the water just beyond the harbor. “Bit of a choppy day to be out.”
“Yeah, it is. Truth be though that you James and I have seen worse over the years. Your mother must be over to moon to have you home from the big city.” Mr. Chisholm looked around. “Where is that woman you married and the little one I’ve seen so many pictures of?”
Joe smiled. “Back at the house being fed and spoiled I expect.”
“Yeah, that sounds about right knowing your mother.” Mr. Chisholm paused. “Does your father know you are here?”
“He knew we were coming, just not when.”
“Ahh.” Mr. Chisholm nodded. “You looking to calm the waters before he meets your wife and his grandchild in person?”
“Yeah.” Joe looked into the face of the fisherman. “Has my father said anything to you?”
“Your father is a man of few words.” Mr. Chisholm rubbed his chin. “I do know when I asked about seeing him at the community center later, he said he probably would be busy.”
“Oh.” Joe looked back out at the mouth of the harbor and the sea beyond. “I don’t see them so I suppose I should head back home to wait.”
“Just a second.” Mr. Chisholm said before Joe could turn around. “You went to Sunday School with my boy Albert, didn’t you?”
“I did.”
“Do remember that story from the Bible about Peter trying to walk on water?”
“Yeah, I remember it.” Joe tilted his head. “I think Mrs. Chisholm taught us about it in Sunday School.”
Mr. Chisholm nodded. “I think you might consider that story when dealing with your father and the problems you’ve had with each other.”
“Why?” Joe wrinkled his brow. “I remember that Peter tried to walk on water and he sank. Are you saying I should cut my losses and go before I see my father?”
“Not at all.” Mr. Chisholm checked the rope tying his boat to the dock. “I think you should consider the other disciples in the boat that day.”
“The other disciples?” Joe frowned. “What did they do?”
“Nothing if I remember correctly.” Mr. Chisholm looked out at the boat that was slowly making its way into the harbor. “Peter though walked on water for a bit. I often wondered what that was like. The thrill of stepping out and doing something he never thought possible.”
Joe frowned. “I’m not following. Peter sank.”
“Yeah, he did eventually when he took his eyes off Jesus. We tell the story about him though. He is the one who reached out and risked. He is the one who did the impossible.”
Joe’s eyes went to the boat heading towards them and saw the outline of his father behind the wheel. “So, you’re saying I should think about risking and doing something rather than playing it safe?”
Mr. Chisholm turned his back toward the boat which was coming closer. “I’m saying that maybe it is time to trust Jesus and let him show you what you always thought was impossible.”
“My father and I were not on good terms when I left. Truth is we rarely see eye to eye.”
“Yet here you are with a grandchild I know he can’t wait to meet.” Mr. Chisholm grabbed the rope thrown to him from the arriving boat and tied it off. “I’ll leave you to see James. Don’t be shy about dropping by with the family. I know the Mrs. would love to see you.”
“Thanks.” Joe watched his father exchange nods to Mr. Chisholm before the neighbor headed up toward his truck.
“You’re here.” James looked past Joe. “Your mother will be disappointed if you didn’t bring your wife and the child.”
“They’re at the house.”
“But you’re here.” James said. “Waiting for me?”
“Yes, I wanted to talk to you before I introduced them to you.” Joe took a deep breath. “I needed to apologize for what I said and make things right before you meet the woman I love and our child.”
James considered him for a moment. Then his father stepped off his boat into the dock and pulled his son into an embrace. Joe felt his eyes filling with tears and he prayed a prayer of thanks for grace, forgiveness, and the miracle of a new day starting.
*****************************************
StoryShare, August 13, 2023 issue.
Copyright 2023 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
“Looking for someone?” A man called off from the a nearby boat.
The man seemed familiar, but Joe couldn’t place him. “I’m looking for James MacDonald’s boat.”
“The ‘Sly Winker’? They were turning around when we started to head back.”
“Is everything okay with them?”
“Yeah, just a trap had gotten twisted up and they were going to haul it in and reset it.” The man squinted a bit. “You a family member?”
“His son.”
“Joe?” The man stepped off his boat into the dock. “Lands sakes I haven’t seen you in years. You may not remember me but I’m Angus Chisholm from down the road. How are you doing?”
“Not too bad Mr. Chisholm.” Joe shook his hand and looked at the water just beyond the harbor. “Bit of a choppy day to be out.”
“Yeah, it is. Truth be though that you James and I have seen worse over the years. Your mother must be over to moon to have you home from the big city.” Mr. Chisholm looked around. “Where is that woman you married and the little one I’ve seen so many pictures of?”
Joe smiled. “Back at the house being fed and spoiled I expect.”
“Yeah, that sounds about right knowing your mother.” Mr. Chisholm paused. “Does your father know you are here?”
“He knew we were coming, just not when.”
“Ahh.” Mr. Chisholm nodded. “You looking to calm the waters before he meets your wife and his grandchild in person?”
“Yeah.” Joe looked into the face of the fisherman. “Has my father said anything to you?”
“Your father is a man of few words.” Mr. Chisholm rubbed his chin. “I do know when I asked about seeing him at the community center later, he said he probably would be busy.”
“Oh.” Joe looked back out at the mouth of the harbor and the sea beyond. “I don’t see them so I suppose I should head back home to wait.”
“Just a second.” Mr. Chisholm said before Joe could turn around. “You went to Sunday School with my boy Albert, didn’t you?”
“I did.”
“Do remember that story from the Bible about Peter trying to walk on water?”
“Yeah, I remember it.” Joe tilted his head. “I think Mrs. Chisholm taught us about it in Sunday School.”
Mr. Chisholm nodded. “I think you might consider that story when dealing with your father and the problems you’ve had with each other.”
“Why?” Joe wrinkled his brow. “I remember that Peter tried to walk on water and he sank. Are you saying I should cut my losses and go before I see my father?”
“Not at all.” Mr. Chisholm checked the rope tying his boat to the dock. “I think you should consider the other disciples in the boat that day.”
“The other disciples?” Joe frowned. “What did they do?”
“Nothing if I remember correctly.” Mr. Chisholm looked out at the boat that was slowly making its way into the harbor. “Peter though walked on water for a bit. I often wondered what that was like. The thrill of stepping out and doing something he never thought possible.”
Joe frowned. “I’m not following. Peter sank.”
“Yeah, he did eventually when he took his eyes off Jesus. We tell the story about him though. He is the one who reached out and risked. He is the one who did the impossible.”
Joe’s eyes went to the boat heading towards them and saw the outline of his father behind the wheel. “So, you’re saying I should think about risking and doing something rather than playing it safe?”
Mr. Chisholm turned his back toward the boat which was coming closer. “I’m saying that maybe it is time to trust Jesus and let him show you what you always thought was impossible.”
“My father and I were not on good terms when I left. Truth is we rarely see eye to eye.”
“Yet here you are with a grandchild I know he can’t wait to meet.” Mr. Chisholm grabbed the rope thrown to him from the arriving boat and tied it off. “I’ll leave you to see James. Don’t be shy about dropping by with the family. I know the Mrs. would love to see you.”
“Thanks.” Joe watched his father exchange nods to Mr. Chisholm before the neighbor headed up toward his truck.
“You’re here.” James looked past Joe. “Your mother will be disappointed if you didn’t bring your wife and the child.”
“They’re at the house.”
“But you’re here.” James said. “Waiting for me?”
“Yes, I wanted to talk to you before I introduced them to you.” Joe took a deep breath. “I needed to apologize for what I said and make things right before you meet the woman I love and our child.”
James considered him for a moment. Then his father stepped off his boat into the dock and pulled his son into an embrace. Joe felt his eyes filling with tears and he prayed a prayer of thanks for grace, forgiveness, and the miracle of a new day starting.
*****************************************
StoryShare, August 13, 2023 issue.
Copyright 2023 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
