Cliff Diving

It’s an interesting transition season for me. While I’m leaving a time and place that I know and knows me, I am not necessarily entering a time and place that is unknown. The first time I did the world race (Jan ’07), I think a lot of the anticipation was rooted in the great unknown – foreign, distant lands, different languages and cultures – fears of having no idea what I had gotten myself into. 

Doing the World Race a second time, the giant cliff looks a bit different. And I look a bit different. It’s not quite as scary and fears have all but vanished into the wind. For one, when I return to many of the same countries and communities it will feel like I’m going home in the sense that I know people and people know me. Reunions will be celebrated with hugs, smiles, laughter…probably some awkward silence…and more talking! As I mentioned earlier, our first stop is Palenque, which was also my first stop last year. Once again, I’ll be living just down the street from the furniture maker and his family. 

Another reason the giant cliff may look different is because it is different! As we continue to walk with the Lord on our journey through life, new opportunities will be presented to us. Once I jump off one cliff, learn to trust God and am empowered to fly – the Lord will use this upward draft to lift me to new heights. These new altitudes are not because of anything I have done (other than continuing to press into God), but because of my Fathers grace and mercy. He longs to see his children continue to be challenged and grow in intimacy in their relationship with Him.  

As squad leader, I know that new cliffs will arise; and I pray that I will embrace each of these faith jumps as opportunities to fly, and not tiptoe to the precipice in fear of falling. It’s not in my strength that I’m going to fly anyway. My God is I AM; he is El Shaddai; he is ABBA Father; he is trust and he is love. He is the God that provides and he cannot change. His character is the rock in which I stand upon when I jump. And I can take a running leap of faith into the arms of my Father. He will not let me fall; he cannot let me fall.  I know His hug doesn’t omit me from struggle and hardship; but it does guarantee his presence, hope and love. And, I realize that these ‘obstacles’ are some of God’s best tools to discipline, train and equip his son’s and daughters to be Kingdom-minded.

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.

To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.

To reach out for another is to risk involvement.

To expose feeling is to risk exposing your true self.

To place your ideas, your dreams, before the crowd is to risk their loss.

To love is to risk not being loved in return.

To live is to risk dying.

To hope is to risk despair.

To try is to risk failure.

                                                                                            – Author Unknown

Life is full of risks. But to live in fear – to never jump off your cliff – is by far a greater hazard to one’s soul. To risk never coming fully alive? To risk your identity to fear? To risk your role to comfort? Camping out on one cliff for my entire life scares me more than jumping with the risk of dying. From my own experience, camping out in comfort guarantees spiritual death…

I hope and pray you all meet me through my blogs in Palenque. It wouldn’t be the same without YOU!