Joke: A man went to see a psychiatrist and said that every night he was visited by a 12-foot dragon with three heads. He was a nervous wreck, couldn’t sleep at all, and was on the verge of total collapse. “I think I can help you,” said the psychiatrist, “but I must warn you that it will take a year or two and will cost $3,000.” “$3,000!” the man exclaimed. “Forget it! I’ll just go home and make friends with it.”

In today’s Gospel, the scene where Peter walked on water to come to Jesus in the night. The strong wind frightened him so that he called on the Lord Jesus, and the Lord Jesus stretched out his hands to save him saying, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Jesus saved Peter even though he doubted his little faith. More than that, Jesus saved him because he remembered to call on him when his faith was tested because darkness and strong wind demanded his life.

After the war was over in 1975, many Vietnamese people began to leave the country to seek freedom and peace. Many people left behind their loved ones, spouse, parents, siblings, children, relatives, and friends. Some arrived at their destination in another country, and some left their lives in the ocean. There were many stories told by those who succeeded to come to another country. I had my own story as well, even though it was more than thirty years ago.

During the year of my junior high, my mother decided to let me escape from Vietnam. After the first unsuccessful escape I spent a month in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, my mother let me escape the country a second time.

During my second escape, in the middle of the night, my cousin and I, at the same age, were brought to a ditch not too far from the sea. Several others were hiding in this same ditch waiting to come down to the boat. Even though it was dark and we hardly saw each other, we still heard the soft voices talking and laughing. Suddenly, we heard a gunshot. This took our breath away, and everybody was so quiet. Amid silence and out of anxiety, someone farted loud enough that broke the silence. Rain began to fall to mingle with laughing. While everybody was enjoying the laugh together, we suddenly heard several gunshots with a voice yelling, “Stop, Stop, Stop.” My cousin and I knew that we had to run in order not to be put in prison if we got caught. It was quite a journey coming home from that moment. Thank God that we didn’t get caught.

My faith in the Lord vanished the moment I heard the gunshot three times. My cousin and I held hands together and ran we had no idea where we were heading to. All I had in my mind that night was to try not to get caught. I was an altar server at the age of nine. I was the head of the altar server and was very active in growing up in the Church, but at that moment, God was not in my mind except for running so as not to be caught. Perhaps, in your difficulties or challenges of life, which are numerous as human beings, have you ever had God in your mind? Have you remembered to call on him in your struggles just as Peter did with his little faith? How is your faith at this moment in your life? Are you walking alone on your spiritual journey? Take some time this week to reflect on the Word of God and ask yourselves, how is my faith in this walk of life? Am I journeying alone in this walk of life?