JUMPING

FAITH. As Heather and I look to the future and to where God has called us, we are learning so much about faith. There can be no faith with no risk. I sometimes feel that we live in a society that will so be void of faith because the church and Christians are taking so few risks. Everything in our lives has to fit together perfectly like a self created puzzle. Nobody can take a step in any direction until each piece is firmly in its place. The problem is that it takes no faith in God if we only move, when all the pieces are in place. Instead God calls us to move, and he promises to put the pieces in place as we go along the journey.

Faith can be illustrated in so many ways. A son jumping from a high place into his fathers arms, is a great example of faith. Although there is a risk, the boy does not calculate it before he jumps because he knows his father will catch him. Recently, in my life journey, God showed me a different view of faith and our relationship to Him. This view of faith involves God as the pilot, and us as His passengers. God calls us to go with him on a journey, and we hesitate. We inspect the plane, and then inspect again. We watch others who have taken the flight with him, with positive results, and finally we decided that it is time to fly, time to have faith in God. It is at this point that we enter into relationship with our savior. It is also at this point that many things go awry.

The first Christians bail, just as God calls them to actually join the journey, and they get off the plane before take off. They decide that they trust the pilot, but don't trust the turbulence and storms of life, and they don't trust the plane to help them through it. But there are many who do stay on board. They have inspected the plane, and have seen many planes before and they realize that there is little faith needed for this flight. So, they buckle in, and settle for take off. Then, after reaching cruising altitude the pilot comes to the back, and he is wearing a back-pack and all of a sudden, we are scared.

Then the pilot (God) reminds us that he invited us to join him on a journey, and not just a plane ride. He tells us he has big plans for us, and that we need to follow him. He says that getting on the plane was the first step, but the the second is getting out. The plane has been put on auto pilot and will only fly as long as there is fuel. Everybody is given a parachute as the pilot tells us to jump. "JUMP!! But you promised you would get us down safely." And the pilot reassures us that if we follow Him and jump, we will get down safely.

Then something strange happens. People stay in their seats. They begin to get worried, and unsure. They don't know if they are up for the risk, and the challenge. They begin to make excuses. "I will go after the movie," one says, while another stays on board for a frightened family member. They all want to stay on the doomed plane and do plane stuff. They feel secure in their seats, with their seat belts, and although they know the plane will eventually crash, it is flying nice now.

So, with a deep look of regret, the pilot, and the few faithful risk takers jump. They jump, and they enjoy the most exhilarating, adventure imaginable, and each and every one of them lands safely on the ground, changed forever. What about the people on the plane? They keep flying, for now, securely buckled into the doomed plane they trust so much. The pilot is not there, not that he doesn't care, but that they didn't follow. And they will continue to fly until the tank hits empty.

It is my desire to have the faith to jump. The faith to commit, despite the fear, despite the risks. I have no desire to live in a church, claiming faith with no adventure, and no journey. God has called us to Him, to go where He calls us to. I want to GO.

Our heart, is to follow God, and go where he calls. We feel that God has called us to Africa. To make a difference and to change lives.