Ok so I saw this picture on a blog I was reading today, the one you suggested Rod (AnIdolHeart.com), and thought “I’m that man! The man seemingly suspended in the air with the fear of falling but the hope of being caught.” Though I know this has probably been practiced time and time again; first on smaller scales, closer swings, and a cushioned bottom, does that change, alter or cancel the fear in the jumpers’ heart or the grain of doubt that “he’s caught me every time before this but what if this time he misses?” Looking at this picture, I have no doubt that he caught him without faltering but that is me on the outside looking in. I see the greater picture. Kind of like when your friends tell you that everything will work out or how they can see how God is moving in whatever the situation is. They see what we often cannot.
Now what a different picture it is to be the one jumping, leaping, arms fully stretched, head up and focused on the one he knows will catch him. What an awesome parallel of how we should be with Christ in our most vulnerable conditions. Imagine if he looked down and took the time to think about the ”what ifs”. What if I fall? How bad will it hurt? Will it kill me? Will it cripple me? Will I forever be bitter at the person that dropped me? If he’d taken the time to mull over all of that, do you think he would’ve kept his arms outstretch and eyes focused on the promise of being caught or began to slowly but surely curl himself into a ball and try to brace himself for his now inevitable fall?
Even if he decided to tuck and drop, that would not have changed the catchers response. He wouldn’t put his arms down because he did. He would stretch them further and harder because it is his responsibility to catch him. The only thing the catcher needs the jumper to do is follow through with focusing on him and he’ll do the rest. Even with your hearts beating fast, focus. When you feel absolutely nothing holding you, focus. When your eyes start to water and your stomach turns flips from fear, focus. And oh the joy and relief the jumper feels once he’s caught. The relief of knowing he was right, that the Catcher would not let him fall. Even though his arms may ache from the swinging impact after being caught, the discomfort won’t matter because, he was caught.
Oh how I look forward to being caught. The pain, anxiety and questions I have will no longer matter. To jump while in fear and make it to the other side will be worth every bruise, bump and bug in my eye. I’ve jumped, we’ve jumped, and the great news is, we’ll all be caught!!!
