It Is Well (India)
This truth circulates and abounds, as it did in our entering India after China. Our flight tickets were booked to Kolkata about four days before we flew out, and a day before departure it dawned on us that we hadn’t even applied for Indian visas which take, according to their e-visa application, at least four working days for access either to be granted or denied. In transit at an airport in Bangkok, the sense that this was more than a matter of faith, was common to the three of us who were caught up in this catch-22. Do we cancel the flight and salvage some money before its too late, or drop all logic and trust for a timely miracle? Our prayer that Friday morning was: if God can grant an Indian e-visa in a day, as we’d heard testimonies of, He can do it in 4 hours (any longer and we wouldn’t be able to salvage any money for cancelling the booked tickets). Beloved friends, we learnt 30min after giving it over to Him that our visas were granted!…but of course.
What’s setting one’s foot on the waters all about then? I had yet to put my finger on it, the same way I couldn’t plot the exact outcome of the above mentioned testimonies on paper before their victories realized. It occurred to me though: in the event that these outcomes were extravagantly otherwise, no, as a matter of fact: in any event… the outcomes of our stories are founded on the grounds that the victory has already been won, those who are in Christ. Therefore, China visa or not (the curse is broken, the gates are open); India visa or not; whether or not we get to the northern province of India… whatever the outcome of exiting the boat in faith is; whether sinking, swimming or walking on water: it is well with me!
Recently in Nepal, we were without plans to visit friends, or friends of friends, as is most often the pull drawing us to visit a certain village, city, country. Nonetheless, with a vision to pioneer and break-up unplowed ground, Nepal seemed the perfect region for us to go as the disciples went in Luke 10 and share the kingdom of God with people we have no connection to. We lacked nothing and were found by a man of peace who made us stay two nights, longer than we thought we would. However, unlike the reports Jesus’ disciples gave upon their return (rejoicing upon witnessing that even the devils are subject to them), though we touched a certain man who is blind in one eye to heal him (and others) in Jesus’ name, a demonstration of the power of the Kingdom didn’t manifest in this instance as we believe it does…
Also, just the other day in a village outside Lucknow, India, a paralyzed man in his wheelchair sat before us as we waited for the Passion of Christ movie to be projected. I told Jesus I don’t want to lay my hand on him unless he’ll be healed. I also brought with me a pair of socks to the village in case there were mosquitoes. Belteshazzar was attacked by them first and asked to use my socks when he saw I wasn’t wearing them… yet. Naturally I gave it to him. My feet itched throughout our sharing the gospel with villagers who had perhaps heard of the name Jesus and little more. All the while, while we watched the man-made picture of His crucifixion on the projector that eve, Jesus came back to me about my withholding His touch: “as freely as you give to someone in need of something natural, do so for those in need of the supernatural, for I am in you and I am impartial; and whether you sink or swim, or witness healing: I Am. It is well because I Am.”
Friends, this is the truth that circulates and abounds: in the book of 2 Peter chapter 1, eight characteristics are compiled that we are to build on if we are to be fruitful in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. This compilation begins with faith (exiting the boat) and ends in love:
faith + virtue + knowledge + temperance + patience + godliness + brotherly affection + love
Therefore, the purpose of walking on water is hastening to Jesus. It doesn’t make sense because He’s not far from coming to the boat––this we can clearly see––but is there a remedy for lovesickness? If Jesus isn’t in the boat, then I don’t want to be in the boat. If Jesus is walking on water, then I want to walk on water.