To walk on water, you must first go through a storm.
On Valentine’s Day, my sister Sarah and I walked on water—on Lake Erie, to be exact. My sister had flown from Missouri to Cleveland, Ohio, to visit me for the weekend. Since she loves bodies of water of any kind, I took her to see Lake Erie.
When we arrived at Lake Erie’s Edgewater Park, I knew the lake would be mostly frozen. There probably would not be much to see. The weather was a little warmer than it had been in previous weeks, but I still didn’t expect to go far from the car. That thought evaporated once we saw dozens of people walking on the frozen lake.
“Let’s go!” Sarah exclaimed.
Down we went along a path leading us between the boulders lining Lake Erie’s coastline.
The Experience
When we first stepped onto Lake Erie, it seemed like we were only on snow-covered ground. Melting slush and snow crunched beneath our tennis shoes. Then we came to smooth spots that were almost transparent. We avoided small cracks in the ice’s surface.
We passed some teenaged girls who repeatedly kicked the ice, daring it to break.
Sarah and I were not that daring.
We took selfies together. Then we took pictures of each other. Some with the Cleveland skyline in the background. Some with the pier behind us. As we walked out a little further, we noticed that there were strips of clear ice and strips of white ice. Later, when we walked out on the pier to get a bird’s-eye view, we found that the white ice was where capped waves had frozen into place.
Walking on Lake Erie was a surreal experience. On the one hand, it felt like we were just taking a walk. The ground beneath our feet was solid. I had to remind myself that the shoreline was actually several feet behind me—that below me was only frozen water. On the other hand, there was a heightened sense of danger—how solid was this ice? Were there weak spots I might fall through?
I was also seeing my surroundings from a different perspective—the Cleveland skyline, the lighthouse, the pier. We even walked past large footings from a destroyed fishing pier that always protrude above Lake Erie’s waves like suspended concrete islands. Sarah and I knew this was likely a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and we tried to absorb it all.
Although other people ventured out past the pier, Sarah and I didn’t go that far or stay on the ice too long. After all, we did watch Belle fall through ice in Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas when we were children.
The Cost
As I think about those moments on the ice, I think of how difficulties often lead to special experiences. The only reason Sarah and I had the opportunity to walk on Lake Erie was due to hardships. According to Cleveland Magazine, Cleveland experienced “eight consecutive days below 20 degrees Fahrenheit.”[1]
Let me tell you, that bitterly cold weather was not fun! Amid these below-freezing temperatures, we had endured a snowstorm that shut down schools, churches, and businesses for a few days. Shoveling out my driveway multiple times in single-digit temperatures was an experience I do not want to repeat.
In addition to the bitterly cold weather conditions, the timing of my sister’s visit only came about through difficulties. Originally, Sarah was going to visit Cleveland in November. But the government shutdown led to her flight being canceled. Although that development was disappointing at the time, we can appreciate that Sarah, who loves any experience with water, was in Cleveland at the right time to walk on a frozen lake.
The Opportunity
Both the difficulties with weather and flight cancelations set the conditions for Sarah and me to experience walking on water together. As I reflect on that reality, I think of another person who walked on water—the apostle Peter. He did walked—not on a frozen lake—but on the stormy Sea of Galilee.
As Jesus walked on the sea toward his boat, Peter asked to join Jesus on top of the waves. Jesus granted his request. The result was an unforgettable, out-of-this-world experience. But it did not come during the quiet, calm days of fishing on the Sea of Galilee. It only came when Jesus appeared in the middle of a storm.
Today, this week, and this year, you will be confronted with difficulties, thwarted plans, and maybe even storms. Yet, we have a God who can redeem those difficulties—who can give us unexpected opportunities that are only possible because of hardship.
So hold on to hope. Trust that on the other side of today’s difficulty, God has a beautiful opportunity waiting.
Maybe you’ll even get to walk on water.
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” –Romans 8:28
[1]. Kristen Kimbler, “Lake Erie Nears 100% Ice Coverage after Record Cold Stretch,” Cleveland Magazine, February 4, 2026, https://clevelandmagazine.com/articles/lake-erie-nears-100-ice-coverage-after-record-cold-stretch/
Copyright © 2026 by Carmen Dillon. All rights reserved.
What a great post and such beautiful photos! A wonderful memory and spiritual insight for you and Sarah!
Thank you!