On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.”…. “Have you still no faith?” (Mark 4:35, 40 ESV) Often times in our faith, you will be prompted by God to travel across to the other side of the very place you set yourself up. (I don’t mean death, when I say “other side” for you morbid people; I just mean a place you’re not used to). If you think about it, you’re on the side that you are on because Jesus prompted you there in the first place; but now, with all the work you put in, Jesus tells you, “let’s go to the other side.” I would tell you that it is a blessing to be traveling with Jesus from one side to the other, but you spent all your resources and put in work on the side you are on. I mean, how can you pick up and leave? Let’s forget that in essence God is telling you to pick up your stuff and directing you somewhere else entirely that you’re not familiar with; that’s because you’ll go, either from curiosity or obedience or through strong arming. However, when you got up and started to travel to the other side, bad things started happening. Things didn’t seem to be going right. In fact, if you didn’t know any better, you’d wonder why God fell asleep on his idea for this journey he asked/told you to be on. Your boat is sinking and water is coming on. This is how the Christian life feels more times than not! It’s sheer panic and God is sleeping through the storm that may take everything away from you. At least that’s what Peter was feeling when Jesus was sleeping in the stern of his boat while it took on water and was about to sink. The weird thing is how Jesus responds to Peter’s panic. He responds by saying, “don’t you trust me enough to take you where I tell you to go?” I mean, he did after all, tell the winds and waters to “be still.” He showed to Peter and the other disciples that he is Lord over all and proved it by commanding the waters and the winds. In fact, if you think about all your panic and every time you were stressed out about going to the other side, wherever that other side may be, Jesus commanded things through the turbulence and got you through, so the question is why do we still panic and act like we’re not going to make it? Maybe it is the uncertainty of what lies on the other side for us that causes us to panic. We know what is on the side we just left, but on the other side, there is nothing but questions and the only thing we got to go on is Jesus telling us to go. I understand that feeling, in fact, it is natural to feel that way and to have those fears. But perhaps that’s exactly why God wanted us to go to the other side in the first place– to shake up our comforts and send us on a totally new, awesome adventure that we will never forget. If God is calling you to pick up your things and travel to the other side with him, don’t hesitate, just get up and go. I can guarantee, you’ll experience a new side of you that you never knew you wanted.