Today's "Lent Encouragement" is by Alison.

Recently I received some particularly bad news regarding my cancer and my future treatment. God has been with me throughout this 10 year journey but at this moment in time the future was bleak. I felt like the options being offered were similar to jumping into a black hole. I had images of a black hole like we hear about in space, nothingness and empty, going on forever and I had to jump into it. I didn’t want to, but that was my only option. Then a couple of days later, whilst on the phone with my sister I was suddenly reminded of one time when the disciples were in a boat on the sea of Galilee in a storm; Jesus came towards them, walking on water. When the disciples saw him walking on water, they were terrified and cried out, “its a ghost”. But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said, “Take courage, I am here!” Then Peter (one of his disciples) called to Him. “Jesus if it is really you, tell me to come to you walking on the water.“ “Yes, come” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water towards Jesus. The realisation for me that I wasn’t going to have to jump into a black hole with nothing but emptiness, but instead, I had to climb out of a boat and keep my eyes on Jesus and walk on water. Both are hard, but knowing I have Jesus there with me to hold me up, as long as I keep my eyes on Jesus it will be ok. And I would much rather climb out of a boat and walk on water with Jesus than jump into a black hole of nothingness. A little while after this amazing reassurance, I realised that God has chosen me to be in that boat with him, its not my decision it is totally his, and Jesus will always be in that boat on the stormy seas for me and for all of us who choose to trust in God and put our faith in Him.

You can read this in Matthew chapter 14 verses 22-33.

The photograph is of a textile picture that Alison made a few years ago.