Jump

Jesus asked me to JUMP!

I have learned when the same subject keeps coming up over and over then Jesus is trying to tell me something.

I just watched a famous tv/movie personality give a talk on “Jump” and then just a few days after that I received a notification that a pre-order audio book that I ordered a month ago was now available.  I was in amazement when the subject matter of the 1st chapter was on “Jump” .  Yep, Jesus is asking me to “Jump” again!

And I want to say, “Lord, I’m old and too tired.  Isn’t it time for me to rest?” Though I find myself wondering in anticipation of what door he was going to ask me to JUMP through.

You know they say hind sight is 20/20, so I started thinking back of all the times that he has asked me to jump.  Did I know that is what he was asking? No, but I believe the Holy Spirit was intervening for my ignorance. Still yet, I would jump!

My first jump was into his arms through baptism. What a true blessing.  This was a jump of Hope! Although I didn’t really understand what I was doing and regretfully it has taken me over 35 years to remotely understand.  The confusion and heart ache of my younger years and then moving right into a marriage to my prince charming, yes a Christian man, catapulted me into a long life of learning to love my Lord.

Then there was a long period of silence or at least I wasn’t listening, I was simply gliding through my spiritual walk.  I was gliding on the shirt tail of an image and family that I had put on a godly pedestal.

Then, a big jump!  The jump of trusting and leaning on Him through the ending of a 10 year marriage.  I was no longer going to have that marriage/family to steer me in my spiritual walk.  But I also was no longer going to be limited to what they thought a relationship with Jesus looked like, it was going to only be up to me now.

Then I jumped before I was lead.  Into a new marriage so quick after the heart ache of another.  Not asking for guidance just making my own deliverance.  And I was delivered into a new marriage to a man who, although loved me dearly, had a very different thought process than I did.  When I say hard 14 years, I mean HARD!  I told HIM I was done but if HE wanted this HE would have to fix it.  And HE asked me to jump again! Jump into a path of trust, dependence and silence.  Trust for HIM to be my voice and my strength.  I Jumped!  And HE fixed it.

During those 14 years of hard times, tragedy struck and sickness of a child hit and hit hard.   It also was a time of fear for the loss of another son to the ugly world. Another season to jump.  Jump into a faith that makes no sense but carries you through without question.   The knowledge that if I have faith, HE will come through.  So I jumped!

As I jumped in my faith, I was also asked to jump into leadership.  This was a role in my christian walk that HE had never asked me to jump through.  But it was a role that taught me so much about loving people where they are.  About working together through differences and glorifying God through it all.  This was a jump in obedience of being a servant.

When my husband and I got married, my children and I had moved 14 times over the prior 11 years and all I wanted was to be settled and have a home.  Which we did for 20 years but then life, security and home was changing.  HE was asking me to jump yet again. This was a jump of surrendering all!  Move from my family, my children/grandchildren, my friends and my church of 25 years.  This jump was frightening!  But I did it. So starting a new home, new state, new job, new church and new friends!  Almost too much new for 1 person!  But when the bottom seemed to be getting too close, Jesus would catch me because he had a plan.  And because I was willing to Jump HE was going to make it perfect.  And I’m beginning to see His plan now.

This has been over a period of 37 years and I would have thought my “jumping” years were behind me.  But no!  Jesus never stops asking us to “JUMP”!  With each and every jump there is growth.  Growth that gets me just a little bit closer to HIM.  Growth that shows me how much HE loves me and who HE made me to be.  Growth is hard but jumping is Good!

So I say………….

Isaiah 6:8 “Here I am send me”

Isaiah 6 – Full chapter click here

So what now?  And am I willing to do it without fear!

Lord help me be willing to JUMP everyday for You! Amen!