It’s A Rare Thing and Hard to Find
Faith is more than believing, it requires action. This action requires letting go and putting our trust in something bigger. Henri Nouwen tells a story about The Flying Rodleighs who were trapeze artists. The leader of the troupe told Henri,
“The secret is that the flyer does nothing and the catcher does everything. The worst thing the flyer can do is to try to catch the catcher. A flyer must fly, and a catcher must catch, and the flyer must trust, with outstretched arms, that his catcher will be there for him.”
As kids we have this kind of faith. We will jump from a bed, without any warning, expecting a parent to catch us.
If no one is there when we jump this doesn’t work so well. The more times we’ve jumped, and no one is there to catch us, the more untrusting we become. Faith does not mean we have to see the person catching us, we just need to know that they are there. A relationship needs to be developed prior to the jump. We need to listen to the Catcher’s voice and know that He will catch us.
“Faith means being sure of the things we hope for and knowing that something is real even if we do not see it.” Hebrews 11:1
I’ve been scared to jump. I’ve hit the ground enough times that I remember what it feels like. This is what happens when we jump without checking with the catcher. God has some big scary business changes in mind and has been pushing me to jump; to the point of pulling a board out from under me.
I have been talking about this leap since then, but it’s scary. Talking is not the same as doing. Believing is not the same as action. I’ve been holding on afraid to let go. “We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him. They are the people he called, because that was his plan.” Romans 8:28
My toes are hanging off the edge and I’m going to jump…I mean it. The Catcher has been patiently waiting and will not let me fall.
Check back to see what this jump looks like.