I have so many thoughts I hope they tumble out in order...!
So as I'm strapped to a total stranger in a tiny pink aeroplane climbing steadily to 15,000 over the biggest lake in New Zealand I'm thinking of all the spiritual points I can make out of this! Jumping out of an aeroplane strapped to someone else is like....
...like faith! Taking a leap of faith is scary but you're strapped to God so what could possibly go wrong? There's no room for human error or parachute malfunction when it's God you're strapped to. Point one. Off we go.
Jumping out of the aeroplane is like faith... but I really didn't do the jumping, I just willingly submitted to the person in charge, followed the instructions to 'Be the Banana' (head looking up, hips forward and knees bent) and the expert did all the hard work while I just enjoyed the ride. Faith in God is like that, we really don't do too much of the hard work when we submit and trust His expertise. Point two. Getting there.
The anticipation is the scary part, the actual falling is awesome. Exhilarating. Overwhelming and surreal. It's the anticipation of seemingly crazy acts of faith that is the part where it could all go wrong before it's even started. That was the part where I prayed like crazy, quoted scripture verses in my head like 'my peace I give to you ... a peace that passes all understanding - John 14:27' and sang 'Thank You Jesus' songs under my breath to keep the fears from reaching into my mind and taking hold. That's exactly like faith - prayer, worship and the Word are three powerful tools to keep the fear of any walk of faith at bay. They fill your mind with all the right stuff when all the wrong stuff is trying so desperately to get access and control over your thoughts. Point three. We're flying now!
And His peace came - the fall was so peaceful. I forgot I was strapped to anyone and felt like I was flying through the air on my own - till the bloke pulled the parachute, that is! The view was spectacular. The ground was so far away I felt like I could reach out and touch it. Does that make sense?
Once I was falling, the fear was completely gone. It wasn't scary, it was cool. Jesus describes the enemy as a toothless lion - the roar is the fear that paralyses us when in reality, there is no bite. Get past the roar and you're laughing! Point four.
My fantastic, darling husband, bought me the skydive for my birthday. He knew I wanted to do it. He knew I'd regret it if I didn't do it. I had come home one day from a 3 hour walk and announced it was time for an 'exclamation mark' in the story of my life. But it was a bit scary. Even after He bought it for me I put off booking it. And even when I booked it I didn't tell anyone cuz thinking about it was a bit scary. I consoled myself with the fact that it was only going to be 9,000ft.
So when I turned up and they said for an extra $10 I could do 12,000 I loved my husband even more for saying yes before the fear in me could say no!
Then, at 5,000ft up the instructor tells me there's not enough fuel to let some of us off at 12,000 and some of us off at 15,000 so we are all going to go 15,000! Nearly double what I had expected. I've found that faith is a bit like that too - when you take one step in the direction God is calling you, you find so much more than you expected! Both the scary and the awesome. Point five.
There are some of you reading who have never done a skydive and never will. There are those who might one day, those who have done it once and those who do it over and over and over again. I reckon now I've done it once, I could do it again and again and again. Next time I expect not to be as fearful and to enjoy the ride even more. That's like faith too. One step is all it takes and then you take more and more and more. Point six: The fear shrinks and the enjoyment grows.
I hope I get more chances to test that theory.
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