I don’t THINK I screamed as I fell. At least, I don’t remember screaming. But it all happened so fast. One moment I was on solid ground, and then a microsecond later, I was in the air. Falling. I’d had time to think about this. I had faith in God. Faith that He would catch me. And if He didn’t, well then, I would be enveloped by the cool waters of the Nile river yet again that day.
But I don’t think I screamed. Before I fell, I was pretty calm. I let the lilting voice of the New Zealander wash over me, even as he bound my feet tightly together. He even explained that he was using a towel as padding around my ankles so the ropes wouldn’t hurt. He made me hop my way to the edge. Then he said “Jump.” And I did.
Only I didn’t so much jump as fall. I closed my eyes, spread my arms out to my sides, and just leaned forward, allowing myself to fall, face first, toward the dark waters of the Nile, 145 feet below. I opened my eyes a second after my feet left solid ground, the water rushing up toward me. My hands were now above my head, to break the water’s surface if I did hit. I felt my decent slow. I stretched my hands to to water as I drew closer and closer. My hands were barely six inches from the water when I felt the tug on my ankles as the bungee pulled me back up and I began to fall again. I heart was racing. The adrenaline rushing. But I don’t think I screamed. Because I trusted God. I trusted that I was doing what He wanted me to do.
Because that jump was more than just an adventurous event. It was me, finally jumping off a cliff and into God, and everything He has for me. I left a ghost of myself on that platform. The person I was. The one I used to be before. Before the World Race. The person who felt she was in control of everything. She is the one who stayed on that platform in Jinja.
And the one who is continuing on the race? She is the one who is changing. She is the one who has no clue what she is jumping into. She is the one who is going to get real about who she was, who she is, and who God wants her to be. So, this is me. Jumping into Jesus.
