The Thrill of the Jump
Life comes at you fast… Nationwide said it right. Sometimes it comes and goes so fast that it leaves my head spinning. Recently, I have found myself looking back over the past few summers and reflecting on how my life is changing. Change isn’t easy and is often met with resistance, but it always serves a greater purpose after we fight off our initial kung fu reflex.
The one place that I have always felt most intimate with the Father is in nature. I love being outdoors and I especially love the summer. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I love everything about it…
- I love the scent of coconut in tanning lotions.
- I love sitting in the porch swing and having great conversations until late in the summer night.
- I love lounging on a float in the pool while reading a good book with a nice glass of sweet tea nearby.
- I love the lake.
A few years back some friends and I decided to go cliff jumping at the lake. We sped through the water with the wind blowing through our hair until we found a humongous cliff. The excitement built as we began the treacherous climb to the top. Mind you, it wasn’t an easy feat and it certainly was a road less traveled, with very few indications of previous travelers. Once we reached the top, I felt a huge sense of accomplishment… I’d done it! The hardest part was over!
Until I looked over the edge.
Holy cow! It was a looong way down! In a matter of seconds, my oh-so-dangerous climb to the top seemed to disappear from memory as I froze in fear of the journey back down. I grabbed the nearest tree and held on for dear life. One by one, my seemingly unfazed friends jumped… but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. As I peered over the edge, I began to think about how crazy this situation was. What if there were big, sharp rocks at the bottom? What if I landed in the water wrong and knocked myself out? What if I hit my head? What if? What if?
I realized that I had two choices: I could either face my fear of the unknown and jump, or I could climb back down. As I carefully weighed the options, I came to the realization that climbing down would probably be more difficult than the jump itself. So, I gave myself a good, stern pep talk and sent up a desperate prayer. And then I did it. I jumped. And I lived. And I went back to do it again.
The same is true with the changes that have been taking place in my life. Over the past few years, God has taken me on an amazingly tough journey to the top. It’s been dangerous and sometimes shaky, but beautiful. I made it to the top of the cliff and felt totally invincible for awhile. But I have just looked over the edge and realized how far I have yet to go. It scares the heck out of me, but I’m determined not to be paralyzed by fear.
As believers, Christ beckons us to put our faith into action and to trust Him. He beckons us to step away from what is familiar, and sometimes even to forsake what is sound, in order to experience Him in new ways that are only possible by embracing the free fall.
I’m getting ready to jump. I could chicken out and climb back down. But I’ve decided to let go and trust that God is in control. It’s a big step … a big step of faith into the unknown. But now is the time.
So I look over the edge and it still scares me. But that’s okay. I’m going to do it and the odds are that I’ll be thrilled when it’s over. And I’ll be back to do it all over again.
About the Author
Ginger Swann is a copy editor for a nonprofit organization in Dallas, TX, who gets ridiculously competitive in go-kart races. She spends way too much time scouting out new coffee shops and way too much money downloading music from iTunes. You can read her blog here: ramblings of domesticated singleness
There has been 1 reply so far
You know, just a couple of days ago I was doing exactly the same thing- looking at the past and how I have changed. It is amazing to see the way God has moved in my life. An overview of the past 4 years would show that I have gone from a little girl with no experience in life to a young women with a little more experience, and how much I still have to learn. I’ve always known Christ was in my life (I’ve believed in Jesus since I was 3 years old), but not until after this past Christmas did I really start letting Him lord over my life. The change is incredible. This past fall was horrible for me. I was dealing with some sin in my life, anger, and some major depression. Life terrified me. Some days I didn’t even want to get out of bed. Parts of me wanted to hide and some parts just thought who cares about any of this. Christmas came and went and I was as depressed as ever. However, after a couple of weeks my life had been shaken so badly by God’s hand that I awoke from my darkness. The next month was spent in refining and purifying my life plus I learned some great lessons in trust which brings me to the current day. I still struggle with things in my life, but I don’t know anyone who doesn’t. I lead worship at my school (it’s a Christian school). A friend and I are starting a prayer group at school and we are both heading for futures in ministry and missions. I have learned to trust God with everything. My entire life is in His hands and I’m not scared to jump off the cliff into His plans for me. I trust Him to lead me right in all areas: family, friends, school, future college plans, missions, and even boys. If He’s gotten me this far through all of the things I’ve already endured then there is no way He would leave me now.
1 | lightchild1
Wednesday, March 21, 2007, at 12:08am
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