Two months ago when I was in Cambodia. We had to go to the “Olympic” swimming and diving pool. Because, quite frankly you’re on the race and why not do fun things to cool off.
I thought spending a nice, relaxing day at the pool filled with fun would be a nice time to simply connect with my teammates. The Lord had it planned to teach me something.
Julia, Alexa, and I climbed all the way to the top of the highest high dive. “Go big or go home”. We all realized how crazy we were. We proceeded to climb back down to the middle platform on the high dive to jump off. We were surrounded by locals who were ready to jump off. After looking off the edge, the feeling of anticipation and a fear of jumping off began to well up inside me.
Alexa, Julia, and I stood on the edge, hand in hand ready to jump off. We counted down over and over. Each time we recounted to three I would become more and more hesitant to jump. I was afraid. We all stood there. Ready to go. I was sure I could do this. It was only a jump. We counted to three and ran towards the edge. Alexa jumped in, I froze, and Julia stayed beside me. Oh, we had to have been up there for ten minutes before that even happened.
What was I afraid of?
I knew that jumping would be fun, cool, exciting, refreshing, and freeing. I didn’t want to stay on that ledge. It was the jumping off the edge. The loss of control, the loss of comfort.
I ended up sitting on the edge, hands grasped on the edge, and my feet dangling off. I told Julia to push me. After she pushed me, I didn’t pencil in quite like I wanted to. I landed in the same position I left the high dive in. I felt my head smack the water. It kind of hurt.
When God calls us to do something, we
have to jump off the platform. Sometimes we are overwhelmed with fear of the fall. We have to be pushed. We have to get into the water. We have to get into where He is calling us to go. Being pushed is sometimes the only way you’ll get where you are being asked to go.
After landing in the water I was surrounded by my friends making sure I was not hurt, cheering me on, and loving me.
Of course before we left the pool I had to jump willingly off of the high dive. I went up there terrified, but trying to keep my fears at bay. It was now much bigger than just a jump. It was more about me being willing to jump into whatever the Lord has for me. I stood up there for an easy 10 minutes. My friends all cheering me on and giving me words of encouragement. After enough praying I gave myself a pep talk, “you say you want to get your butt in the river. You say you want to go deeper, to step out of your comfort zone. You have to jump”. I jumped. I screamed. I felt free, bold, and I was in the comfort of the cool pool.
The Lord showed me more than I ever thought through a high dive at the pool.
