Sometimes God Speaks Through Old Photos

Like I said before, I’ve been going through some of my old photos, and I came across a few from the Oklahoma River drag boat races. We were asked to be the official photographers for them back in 2007. These three shots really stood out.

The first photo shows a drag boat launching with the front end out of the water—raw power on full display. The second captures a huge rooster tail behind it, but there’s something else: flames coming out of the right side of the engine. The third photo shows the boat dead in the water, starting to sink, with the driver climbing out of the cockpit.

I remembered these photos well—they were some of my favorites from that day. As I sat looking at them again, I started thinking, this feels like Peter in the Bible. I know, it might sound odd—but hear me out.

Matthew 14:27-32 (ESV)
But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”
And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.
But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”
Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

Peter steps out of the boat, full of faith, heading straight for Jesus. But then he notices the wind and waves—he panics, and down he goes. That drag boat reminded me of Peter. It launched strong, but somewhere along the way, something broke. It lost power, started to sink, and the driver had to bail.

But just like Jesus reached out and grabbed Peter, He does the same for us. When life gets crazy, when we lose focus, when our “faith gasket” blows—Jesus is still there. Ready to grab hold of us. We just need to turn our eyes back on Him.

So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed or sinking lately, remember: He hasn't gone anywhere. Just look up. He's already reaching out.