A Four Letter Word Essential to Faith and Living Fully Alive

image024-1When my daughter Traci was small, I found her standing at the edge of the courthouse steps.  I stood below her and asked, “Why are you standing there?”

“I want to jump,” she said.

What an opportunity to teach trust.  I held up my arms. “Go ahead, jump,” I said, “I will catch you.” She moved up to the edge of the steps, cringed and moved back.

She looked so tiny, so scared.

She confessed to me that every time she looked down, it made her butt feel funny. “That’s okay,” I said, “Your butt will always feel funny when you take a risk.” Finally she crept up to the edge and did something that demonstrates the essence of living fully alive and the essence of true faith.

She leaned forward just far enough so that she couldn’t turn back.

Even as she fell she screamed in terror UNTIL the second she hit my arms. I caught her and held her close. She pushed herself back, eyes wide with excitement, and squealed, “Let’s do it again!”

That’s what life fully alive looks like.

The day a person stops risking they stop growing.  The day something stops growing it begins to die.

That’s what faith is like.

It isn’t a big brave act.
It’s not the absence of doubt.
Faith is moving forward in the presence of doubt.

If you’re going to take a risk, why not make it a leap of  faith?  If you lean into your fear and trust God, I can tell you from experience, He will catch you.

Oh, to wake up every morning squealing, “Let’s do it again!”  Especially on those mornings I am grateful simply to wake up!

What risky leaps have you taken?
What leaps of faith have you taken?

Let’s do it again! Please comment.  I love hearing your stories.

 

 

Comments

  1. Thank you for your story. My husband and I went in the ministry and we took a leap of faith and things did not work out. Although God provided We had to sacrifice, we slept on the floor for a long time and we had no furniture because we sold everything to go across the country. God did provide a place to live, a job, and a church. But after that experience, i’ve been hesitant in doing this again
    but my husband is ready again and reading your story help me see it’s time again to do what God is calling us to do again.

    1. Thank you for your very honest response. There have been times I feel the same way. Following Jesus is not without sacrifice. I am reminded daily of the “take up your cross” part of the deal. Sometimes I plug my ears. I pray that your decision will be filled with grate satisfaction and many good works. I also pray that God will show you his provision in a way that will cause you to dance for joy. Thanks Rayenetta

  2. Leap of Faith – for me was more like a BIG push by God who obviously was tired of me looking down before I jumped. I’d been interested in lay ministry but “things” just never seemed to work out – till one year all the courses were offered , one after another, as the same time my schedule cleared of a few obligations. Have been leading worship almost continually for the last six months of a four year “career”. Am now sorry I waited so long …

    1. Suzzy, Thanks for your story. Sometimes I do believe God gives us a push. In regard to when you got started….. After regaining my health and rekindling my relationship with God, I complained to a friend about all the years I had let slip by without the benefit of the blessings I was enjoying now. “All those days,” I lamented. My friend leaned across the table and said, “Forget yesterday Ken. You’ve got today.” I’m glad you started Suzzy and I bet the people you minister are glad you started too. Thanks again for your comment.

  3. I love this story 🙂 Thank you for sharing. It made feel like a little kid again. All full of butterflies in my stomach and a great big smile on my face just thinking about it, and thinking about my little girl and how much faith she has in Mom & Dad sometimes. Just amazing!!!!

  4. I love this! Thanks for spurring me on in my faith journey. For me, it takes a leap of faith every time I choose to love people who are unloving and grumpy. But it always amazes me to see the power of love in action. It’s scary to love unconditionally, but in the long run it’s worth it.

  5. When my first marriage ended after eight years, I was so devastated. I had two sons to care for ( ages 5 & 2 1/2) so collapsing into a crying heap was not an option. A year later I met the man who became my current husband and we just celebrated our 25Th anniversary. It was taking a huge risk and leap of faith to trust another man with my heart. I know by looking in his eyes that he truly loves me with a covenant love.

  6. This whole “reaching out to encourage people” thing I’m doing through my writing and speaking feels like a leap. In faith, I’m trusting God to grow me and even just one other person through me.

  7. My son wants me to go skydiving next December on our birthdays. He will be 21 and I will be 50. I am scared of heights as it is. I guess I am going to have faith and jump! This read did help me think of it as having faith and doing the jump.

    1. Pam, DO IT! I took my daughter when she graduated from high school. It is one of the most incredible things I have ever done. Getting past a fear, even if it means doing it only once, gives an amazing feeling of confidence. It is safer than driving to the airport. Your son will remember this forever. Let me know when you do it! Can you hear me in the distance cheering you on? do it. do it! do it! do it! Thank you so much for sharing your story.

  8. I have been reading your blog posts for over an hour and I am so encouraged by your posts. God has used you in a big way to give me hope!

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