Ariana D. Den Bleyker 

on the water

~ Matthew 14: 22-36 ~ 

& as I alone, surrounded by hills in the darkness, struggle against the water, boat pitching at 3 a.m. in the midnight blue & when the winds pick up & the dark water rises, Fear not becoming the most imperative comfort in this wild, untamed life, my basic biology betrays me: racing heart, sweat, breathlessness, a brokenness devoid of God—me, over my head in this world, terrified in the turbulence, the danger despite Christ perpetually moving toward me. & for a moment, I step out in faith, dazzled out of doubt for a beautiful, flickering instant until I stumble into the darkness until I pull my eyes from Him & drown in all the what-ifs leaving me flailing again & again & again. But when He meets me, catches me, & I am left shivering in perfect stillness, mine is the boat He climbs into. & I will stare into His eyes, a little bit of Peter inside me, & I will walk on water.

Ariana D. Den Bleyker is a Pittsburgh native currently residing in New York’s Hudson Valley where she is a wife and mother of two. When she’s not writing, she’s spending time with her family and every once in a while sleeps. She is the author of three collections and twenty chapbooks, among others. She is the founder and publisher of ELJ Editions, Ltd., a 501(c)(3) literary nonprofit. She currently serves as a Deacon on her church’s consistory. She hopes you'll fall in love with her words.