During the summer, our family spends a
lot of time at our local outdoor swimming pool or beaches in and
around our travels. As our youngest gets older, I am more aware of
what is going on around me than ever and get to do one of my
favourite (I confess) past times: people watch. I am especially
intrigued at laying alongside the diving board deep end – watching
people take “the plunge”.
One particular afternoon, I observed a
young lad – probably about 8 or 9 climb those stairs, step boldly
forward two steps followed by about 5 baby steps, curl his toes
around the lip of the diving board, look down and step precariously
back to safety. He would get to the bottom of the stairs only to set
himself back in line to try again. He did this not once or twice, but
probably 15 times.
Leaving the safety of that diving board
into the pool was a real challenge for him, as is taking a risk that
will enlarge our own lives is for us. It reminds me of Abraham in
Genesis 12, where God asks Abraham to leave his country, his people
and his father's household to go to the land God would show him.
Abraham did. That willingness opened up a brand new world in what
becomes known as the Promised Land.
God's expanding of your life likely
requires you to take a step outside of your comfort zone, like our
little diver. God's greatest adventures start with a command to leave
– or turn away from something – towards a plan He has in mind.
That's the part that had that young boy's toes wrapped around the end
of the diving board... God usually only shows us step by step what to
do – we don't always catch the whole picture...but...He asks for
our obedience and trust. What is our response?
You don't want to miss the adventure of
that jump – the exhilaration of action and refreshing plunge into
something that God has in store for you...faithfulness is free-ing.
"So be strong and
courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the
Lord your God will personally go ahead of you, He will neither fail
you nor abandon you."
Deuteronomy 31:6
Press in and press on,
Giselle
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