picture courtesy of ukskydiving.com
Lately, I am reminded of the time I jumped out of an airplane. There was this huge excitement about what it was going to be like to soar like an eagle in the open skies, but there were a few other steps I had to go through to get to that point.
The first step was signing my life away. In order to jump out of the airplane, I had to sign a piece of paper stating that I was aware of the risks and that I was willfully declining any rights to legal action if something went wrong. That is a lot like what Christ asks us to do for Him. He wants to take us over the edge, out of our comfort zone into the supernatural, but we have to be willing to sign the waiver and give up any rights or expectations about the outcome.
The next step was the video and practice jump, where we learned proper technique. This was AIM training camp. The staff taught us how to dive into what the Lord has for us without losing our heads or being careless. God gave us great minds, and expects us to use them. We have to do our part to seek out truth, test it through scripture, and take it to the Lord for confirmation. If we skip over our responsibilities here, we could be jumping blindly into deception. We want to be open to new things, but we have to be smart about it.
During the World Race, I had many opportunities to practice these techniques and learn some new things. And during those 11 months, I thought I was already soaring. But what I have come to realize since returning home is that the World Race was just the practice jump off a platform. I haven’t even climbed into the airplane yet.
I’m all geared up, I completed my practice jump successfully, and I have climbed into the plane that is headed for the open skies. I don’t know the exact location of the deployment, that is up to the pilot to determine. I am just waiting expectantly for the command to jump.
Waiting in that doorway isn’t easy. I am anxious to jump, but there is also a certain amount of trepidation. Do I have what it takes to jump when the order comes?
Then I remember the tandem master that was harnessed to me, and how he ever so gently nudged me forward when it was time. I know that I am firmly connected to my Master, and that He also will gently nudge me when the time comes. So for now, I am just enjoying the incredible view, the wind in my face, and the anticipation of what it will feel like to soar on the wind like and eagle.
