Do you sometimes struggle to take a leap of faith? If you do, I hope this story encourages you to take one.
We were on a holiday, camping at a caravan park in Parkes, New South Wales. We went to the Parkes swimming pool in the afternoon to cool down. It took Jared, my husband, some time to convince our little son, Joshua, that he would be safe in the pool with Daddy. Then to prove it, Jared put him on the edge of the pool and asked Joshua to take a tiny leap.
Immediately, he was caught in Daddy’s strong arms. Jared did this a couple more times, but each time Daddy moved further away from the edge. Then the precious moment came. Joshua took his first, biggest leap over the water, and his daddy caught him!
Trusting someone takes time. It used to concern me when I first heard about Jesus’ disciples. They were called to follow, and they followed! I was troubled because it wouldn’t be possible for me. Then I read Scripture.
In John 1, I discovered that Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was John’s disciple and he heard John saying, “Look, the Lamb of God!” when he saw Jesus. [pullquote]
It would be reasonable to conclude that Andrew followed Jesus because he knew he could trust John the Baptist. In John 2:1–10 is the story about Jesus turning water to wine, His first miracle. In verse 11, John wrote, “He [Jesus] thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.”
Jesus spent more than three years with his 12 disciples, slowly building their trust. They were quarrelsome and simple-minded at times, yet He continued to teach them and patiently explain the meanings of His teachings. He didn’t rush them. As a result, all except one eventually gave everything they had for Him.
Just like Jared giving Joshua test runs before making him take the big leap, Jesus doesn’t ask us to make a leap of faith without giving us successful test runs. We only need to look back to see how He has led us in the past. Each small trial and temptation that we have overcome is a stepping stone for us to stand on before taking another leap. Each leap may be wider and harder to take, but our Daddy is waiting a little distance away to catch us. In those little leaps, Joshua learned to trust in his daddy, and now in his teen years, he is learning to trust his daddy with bigger things in life.
I am wary of my shaky faith as I am committing myself to leap over the water this year and allow Jesus to catch me.
However, experiences have proven that I can trust Him with my life. Would you join me taking leaps over the water? Truly, our Daddy knows He will catch us. Otherwise, He would not ask.
Peempahn Henley is a primary teacher from Moree, NSW, where she lives with her husband, son and cat.
