Moving Forward into Uncertainty Part III

I perched on the edge, my legs dangling into space, and looked down – what was I thinking? A voice in my ear said “Jump!” Taking a deep breath, I jumped – out of the plane into a crazy, adrenaline, wild, free-fall. Arms and legs out wide, face squashed by the force of the fall. It was exhilarating, freezing and brilliant!  Arms came around in front of me and pointed to the altimeter on their wrist indicating that the parachute was about to be pulled. With a jerk, our descent was slowed and we drifted down, taking in the incredible view as we did.  As the ground came nearer the voice in my ear told me to lift my legs as the experienced parachuter I was tied in tandem to, lowered his legs to touch down and take the brunt of the landing.  That parachute jump was the best!! 

As crazy and as exhilarating as it was, it is also a great image to describe faith.

In my previous blog, Navigating Uncertainty Part II, I wrote about faith being likened to a hammock and being “tied into Jesus”.  This image is a picture of security, of being anchored to a sure and certain truth found in the person of Jesus Christ.  However faith doesn’t just anchor us, faith in Christ also moves us forward into the uncertain and unknown future.  After all, Jesus said to his disciples, “Come follow me,” and later on, “Go into all the world.” He invited them to join him on an action packed journey. As 21^st Century disciples, the invitation remains the same – come and go! Faith is a journey. Faith has action attached to it.

Using the image of the tandem parachute jump, I was “tied into” not the parachute but into the experienced parachutist. We were tied together – shoulder to shoulder, waist to waist. He carried the parachute.  We jumped together and my descent was controlled by him. All I needed to do was relax, lean in to him and listen to his voice for my instructions. My faith was in him to bring me through the jump.  However, there was one important action I needed to do. It was up to me to jump first.  Honestly, that was the scariest part as my legs dangled over the side of the airplane and I looked out into nothing!! A tap on the shoulder and a voice in my ear, “Jump!”  Faith, the Bibles states comes from “hearing the word of God.”  When you “hear” it’s time to add action to your faith.  Faith without “works” or action is dead. Do you believe or not? If you believe then go forward into the “uncertain future” one step at a time.  As a child, I was taught a simple song, “Trust and obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey.”  Obeying is adding a “yes” to faith.

It may be a small step - a nudge to talk to the person sitting next to you, or to offer to pray for someone.  It may be a “big” step that requires you to apply for that new job, take up that invitation or invest in a project. Courage is not the absence of fear, courage is deciding to take the next step regardless of the fear.  There is always risk, but faith in Jesus Christ assures us that we do not step out alone. We are “joined” to the Almighty, who has promised that He will never leave us or forsake us regardless of the circumstances we face.

Suddenly those words, “I can do all things in Christ Jesus,” make sense as does Hebrews 11. These men and women who achieved great victories and endured great difficulties did so “by faith”. They lived their lives “by faith” in the sustaining grace and power of God.  There is always uncertainty, but if I am firmly “tied in”, attached to Jesus, listening to His voice and moving forward, trusting, resting in the assurance He has “got me” and “got this”.  

When I jumped out of the plane that day, I experienced exhilarating joy.  I am so glad I did.  When we step into our uncertainty tied to Jesus, who knows what joy we will discover.