Tonight my kids were taking turns standing on a chair in our living room. One after the other they jumped out of the chair and into my arms.
At first, there was some trepidation. They jumped only if my hands were just a few inches from them.
But slowly I moved my hands back and by the end they were both freely jumping out of the chair into my arms, simply trusting that their daddy would be there to catch them.
Even when Tommy was hesitant and scared, Phoebe started yelling for him, “You can do it! Daddy will catch you!”
I hope it’s not trite, but I couldn’t help but think spiritual thoughts in those few moments.
I mean, is this not the leap of faith Christ has called us to – slowly and increasingly learning to trust him by trying out the strength of his hands over, and over, and over?
And is this not a great picture of the way he has called us to leap – encouraging one another through our fears and trials?
I want my kids to grow up trusting that when they leap and when they fall, their daddy will be there to catch them.
I want my kids to grow up believing that the best way to take a leap of faith is in the presence of a community of people that are saying, “You can do it! Daddy will catch you!”
I’m not yet the trusting son my Father wants me to be. And I am not yet the encouraging community my Father wants me to be.
But one day, after I jump the little jumps over, and over, and over, and hear the shouts of encouragement over, and over, and over, I will be a son conformed to the image of the Son. A son taking a dangerous and beautiful leap into his Father’s arms, and encouraging others to take the leap of faith into his strong arms, too.
