“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” Psalm 56:3
I looked down, toes extended over the end of the diving board. My arms and legs were shaking. I glanced back at my son who stood behind me and reassured him I would be fine. I plugged my nose, bent my knees and jumped. Not just a jump, I did a front flip into the water! As my body rotated fully around and I felt my feet sink into the water first, I knew I had successfully accomplished this “flip of faith.” I burst out of the water with the excitement of a 10 year old and threw my hands up with a smile no one could take from me. I had just done something I had never done before and why did I wait until 41 to do it? To face a fear with my son.
Fear can paralyze us. I have seen it take the bravest person and stop them dead in their tracks unable to move forward. Halt progress. End relationships. Stop growth and change. It drains the “fruits of Spirit” right out of someone until at times the essence of the one you once knew is difficult to remember.
1 John 4:18 states “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear.”
How can love drive out fear? I mean if I tread water in a shark infested ocean could God’s love take away my fear? As I stand back and watch my child face difficult things, can God’s love take away my fear that things will turn out ok? As I knock on a door I do not know will be opened, can God’s love take away my fear?
I’ve spent quite some time thinking about this as I have faced many fears of my own. What I have learned is that each fear I face has built one thing that enables me to face the next. That one thing:
Trust
When you find yourself in a difficult situation, who do you turn to for help? Usually someone you trust. Trust, “Assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something; one in which confidence is placed; dependence on something future; reliance on future payment for property delivered.”1
We have all had varying life experiences, and if you have had any similar to mine, you may have had several encounters with others that let you down in the “trust” category. You placed confidence in someone who didn’t have the strength or ability to uphold it. Maybe you made plans for the future with someone who did not return the same investment. It happens time and again but the reason being is there is only One suited for that level of trust and it is our Father in heaven.
“…because God is love.” 1 John 4: 8
Now, a God who IS love can only strengthen us if we trust Him. For when we trust Him, we depend on Him. Put our confidence in Him. Place our future with Him and know He will deliver the payment (our eternity) for the property He has delivered (Jesus). WOW, now that is something to meditate on.
Returning back to the pool, why would I ever do something so crazy as to do a flip of faith for my son off the diving board at 41 years old with people watching? Well, he set the goal for himself, one I would have been fine not checking off the list. It was important to him and although there may be slight risk, much less than on land, I knew he could swim. SO, place a lifeguard on the side of the pool, the worst thing I saw happening was the water smacking his skin if he landed wrong. Seeing the level of disappointment he faced each time we visited and left the pool without the diving board flip motivated me. It motivated me to help him face this fear. So we watched videos on flipping, attempted some practice moves in preparation. The only thing left was to do it, but encouraging him to do something I hadn’t done had its own challenges. One evening after he melted into me with disappointment, I felt a whisper, “would you show him how to flip in faith?” How far would I go to walk him through his fear? I laughed at the idea and hoped I didn’t need to pull that one out of my back pocket until…..
The day we returned back to the pool. He had committed, this was the night. So I waited while he mustered courage to head to the deep end. He climbed the diving board, and as my other son and I held our breath, his shoulders dropped and he jumped in with no flip. He swam over defeated and the whisper came again. But I wasn’t ready to do that flip of faith, so I started to ask for help. I marched down to that diving board and asked some other kids to help us make that flip. Most looked and said, “I haven’t tried that yet.” Before I knew it, there was a line of kids “flipping in faith” one after the other. Emerging with smiles on their faces at the fear they were facing. All, but mine. We even got a lifeguard involved. He came out from behind the desk, threw off his shirt and did his own, very fancy flip. The entire pool was cheering us on, but still….
Fear
It paralyzed my son. I literally couldn’t get him to even take a step forward or backward. So, the moment came, I climbed that diving board. I walked to the end. Looked at the lifeguard and asked if she thought I would be ok to which she said, “Yes.” It was all I needed. I knew my son needed someone he trusted to show him the way, so I flipped in faith. I trusted God had me in that moment of witness, and the water caught me.
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you” Isaiah 43:2
While this passage wasn’t specifically reference diving boards, what it was referencing was that whatever difficult thing we face, He is there. No problem is too big or too trivial for Him to face with us. And any fear that has gotten so big it paralyzes us and steals our joy must be faced or it will own us, control us, and imprison us.
Until someone can fully trust in God, we may be someone they trust that can lead them to Him. Let us take this responsibility fully in and extend our hand to others facing fears. Even the Israelites faced the fear of escaping Egypt so God sent one they could trust, Moses. Even though they doubted at times, Moses’ steadfast faith lead them through the water. God even said, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.” Exodus 14: 15-16 It was a moment that God needed Moses to “flip in faith” to show the others how to face their fear.
So, who in your world needs YOU to take a “flip of faith”?
(And I’m not recommending everyone actually flip, you will know the leap needed that is safe for you)
OR
Do you need someone to do that for you?
How far will you go to walk someone through their fear to the One we can trust? Will you allow someone to step in faith and follow them to freedom to the One we can trust?
Flipping in faith with you, Julie
Father, Today I Surrender:
My Trust
Show me the next step I should take.