It is I, Jesus says to Peter in the Gospel as he attempts to walk on the water to Jesus. When you focus on the story, the common element is the revelation of who Jesus really is. He is the one whom the wind and the seas must obey, the Master over chaos.
When we find ourselves on troubled waters, we can take courage: the Lord is near, even sharing the humble boat of our humanity. If we had the chutzpah of Peter, we might scramble into the water ourselves and start walking. Those among us who have are known as saints. But we know it takes only a mustard seed of faith to do what Peter did.
When the Lord says, “Come,” any one of us might step out of the boat and face down the elements of chaos. The One who first subdued the wild abyss will not allow us to sink now.