By Tijuana J. Williams
Finally, a vacation and we were excited! My husband and I talked about it for months. And as the departure date approached, our excitement grew as we thought of conquering one daunting task. One of the main focuses on our vacation was taking the “Leap of Faith,” a waterslide with a 60-foot vertical drop.
At last, we arrived and there it was…The Mayan Temple. We climbed. The higher we went, the more my heart raced. My hubby went first. As I listened to him cry out for Jesus as he took the plunge, fear choked the life out of my excitement. The Leap of Faith, in my mind, quickly became, The Drop of Death, and I immediately began to look for a way of escape. Walking back down the temple wasn’t an option. Tons of people crowded the stairs anxiously awaiting their chance. As I glanced to the right, there it was…another waterslide, less intimidating, less monstrous. I think it was called “The Challenger.” And I accepted the challenge!
As my husband and I met back at poolside, I embraced him with excitement at both our feats. He talked about how exhilarating “the leap” was. How he could not wait to take “the leap” again. He admittedly experienced fear, but now it seemed only minuscule. Then he turned to me and asked, “Honey, what happened?”
What happened? What happened? He knew what happened. I got scared and chickened out! But I tried to make my experience sound just as thrilling as his. But as he told his story over and over again, mine seemed to lack luster. Then the infamous line came from his mouth, “Do It Scared.”
No…not “do it scared” again.
So, I prayed. Yes, by the poolside, I prayed. “Help me God to overcome this emotion that continues to plague me.” I began to encourage myself. I knew I could do it but this time, I had to follow through. I had to stop dwelling on it and just do it.
I climbed the temple once again. This time, just God and me. And you better believe we talked all the way up. I sat at the peak of the slide. I kept trying to see the drop but because it was vertical, it was impossible to see the end. After graciously allowing a couple of people to go ahead of me, I took a deep breath, laid on the slide, and…
Isn’t this how we spend much of our lives? Watching others achieve greatness while we allow fear to paralyze us. Ready for the “challenge,” but hesitant about the “leap” that will lead us to our place of destiny? Wanting to see the end before we take the first step?
Taking the “Leap of Faith” for me was an outward expression of an inward change. It was my way of showing fear that I wasn’t scared anymore. And showing God that I was willing to take a leap of faith with Him even when if I can’t see the end.
Yes, I did it! And now…there’s no turning back! My mom used to tell me, “If you take one step, God will take two.” I think that was her way of saying, “Faith without works is dead.” And we all know, God honors faith!
Today, I declare…Fear has failed and my Faith is moving me FORWARD!
What’s your “leap of faith?” Don’t let anything stop you. Remember, Do It Scared, if necessary!
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