Tammy On Tuesday – Jump! Sophie, Jump!

PINIMAGEPINIMAGEBack in August, we were able to visit one of my favorite places on Earth – the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  It’s where our family has vacationed ever since I can remember.  In fact, my father’s side of the family originated in Michigan.  Much of his side of our extended family still lives there.  We enjoy getting to visit with them each summer.  And, best of all, we take time to slow down, enjoy God’s creation and make memories with our family!

Over time we have filled many picture books with memories from my childhood of our time in Michigan.  I’ve often said to people in conversation, “It’s something you just have to experience. The beauty is breathtaking!”

You can imagine how much fun it has been for me to watch my children explore all of the wonders I discovered as a child while there.  It’s like re-living them all myself.

You might be wondering what would get me thinking about my summer vacation with the temperatures dropping and Christmas on the horizon.

Well, I’m glad you asked.  Just the other day I spend some time with some wonderful ladies that not long ago placed their faith in Christ and asked Him to be Lord of their lives. We talked about how when we open up our hearts to God, He begins revealing to us His desire for us to know abundant life.

Isaiah 58:11
And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

While I talked with my friends, one of them shared that she feels God may be asking her to make some changes in her life.  She told me that she’s beginning to see things differently.  I explained to her that when she surrendered her heart to God, He gave her the gift of Himself in the form of the Holy Spirit to teach her the way that she should go.  She agreed and told me that it was evident that the Holy Spirit was now prompting her to take steps of obedience.  It’s just that…the steps seemed to be too hard.

I told her that God began a good work in her.  He has a desire for her to truly live.  He began a good work and He would be faithful to complete it.  (Philippians 1:6)  Her job was to trust Him and obey His leading.

After our conversation, my mind went back to an adventure my family took this summer.  (Now you’ll see how our summer vacation ties in to today’s blog post.)

“You can do it, Sophie! Jump!  One.  Two.  Three.  Jump to Daddy!”  This went on for almost 20 minutes.

As our vacation was coming to a close, our family took a trip to one of my favorite places in Marquette, Michigan – Presque Isle.  On the back side of the island are some huge rocks that people jump from into the icy waters of Lake Superior.  On any given day, you’ll find a group of 10-20 people there jumping off the rocks.  My older kids asked over and over when they would get the chance to go to this favorite place of theirs.

We finished dinner and had some time before the isle closed and so we decided to head over for a bit.  Mark and my two older kids headed up to the rocks, while Sophie and I walked down to the cove to watch from below.

Without much thought or preparation, my 10 year old, Hudson, jumped from the rock and dropped the 15 or so feet to the water below.  Sheer excitement poured from him.  He was followed by my 12 year old, Abby.  She was a tiny bit hesitant at first but in no time she was in the air and splashing into the water.  This continued as they climbed back up the rock and repeated the adventure.  It was written all over their faces…THIS WAS THE LIFE!!!

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Sophie sat and watched quietly.  I knew she wanted to join them.  But it was clear on her face she was battling inside.  Just as the sun began to set, she made her trek up the rocky cliff.  She shuffled out to the ledge and decided she was going to jump as well.  She really wanted to.  She had seen the delight and excitement it brought to her siblings and knew she was missing out.  Mark swam out into the water below the rock where she stood.  He had been telling her all day that if she decided to jump he’d be sure he was there in the water waiting for her.  Mark knows Sophie so well.  This was the type of thing she was made for.  This is the type of thing he knew she would talk about for months to follow.  She stood there on the ledge for what seemed like hours.  She wanted to jump.  She wanted to experience the ecstasy she saw her siblings enjoying as they jumped out in full abandon.  But she was afraid.
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As sun slid gently toward the water, a crowd began to gather in the cove to watch this little bit, all of 45 pounds, contemplate such a feat!  In fact, people began to cheer for her along with us.  Maybe it was the fact that she was the smallest person on the rock that evening but people stopped and waited to see if she would conquer her fear and jump.

It’s interesting when someone attempts something bigger than themselves, a crowd will often gather.  Why is that?  Maybe it’s because all too often we are challenged to step outside of our own comfort to try the seemingly impossible and we feel that same fear…so we don’t.

Well, guess what?  Sophie did jump!  It was the highlight of her trip this summer.  Everyone applauded!  My heart welled up to see her push out into the air, arms flailing!  Do you know what finally gave her the courage to do it?

It wasn’t the voices from the crowd. It wasn’t the strength she managed to muster from within.  It was her father’s voice from below, down in the water, beckoning her to come to him.  Her trust in her father’s words made the difference.

You know where I’m going with this.

God is there in the “so called” water of true living!

Are you standing out on the ledge?  Is God calling out to you to trust Him and just jump in?  What are you holding on to? What is keeping you from obeying His voice?

What are you waiting for?

I never cease to be amazed at how God will tie circumstances together in my life in order to bring an important truth home…I read just a couple of days ago a very timely thought in one of my favorite devotional classics, “My Utmost For His Highest” by Oswald Chambers.  It went so well with what I’m sharing today I want to include it in this post.

It is essential to give people a chance of acting on the truth of God – (TO JUMP). The responsibility must be left with the individual, you cannot act for him, it must be his own deliberate act, but the evangelical message ought always to lead a man to act. The paralysis of refusing to act leaves a man exactly where he was before; when once he acts, he is never the same. It is the foolishness of it that stands in the way of hundreds who have been convicted by the Spirit of God. Immediately I precipitate myself over into an act, that second I live; all the rest is existence. The moments when I truly live are the moments when I act with my whole will. (GERONIMO!!!!)
Never allow a truth of God that is brought home to your soul to pass without acting on it, not necessarily physically, but in will. Record it, with ink or with blood. The feeblest saint who transacts business with Jesus Christ is set free the second he acts; all the almighty power of God is on his behalf. We come up to the truth of God, we confess we are wrong, but go back again; then we come up to it again, and go back; until we learn that we have no business to go back. We have to go clean over on some word of our redeeming Lord and transact business with Him. His word “come” means “transact.” “Come unto Me.” The last thing we do is to come; but everyone who does come knows that that second the supernatural rush of the life of God invades him instantly. The dominating power of the world, the flesh and the devil is paralyzed, not by your act, but because your act has linked you on to God and His redemptive power.

Today’s message is simple…Trust Him.  Just jump!

(  ) my emphasis added