Taking the Leap

I hope your week has been as enjoyable as our family's has. We spent some time at the beach with family for Rob's grandfather's birthday. It has been a very special time for everyone. We have enjoyed talking, laughing and just spending time together. Our entertainment has mainly been the seven great-grandchildren under the age of four. They are hilarious! It's so funny to watch the older ones interact, trying to figure each other out. Their biggest trials of the week have included learning to share their toys and their mommies while they hold other babies.

One of my favorite parts has been watching them try scary, new things. For example: jumping off the side of the pool. All by themselves.

It's kind of a big deal.

When one brave soul would take a step off the edge into the unknown below, it was almost as if it added a little bit of courage to the others' tanks. 

A couple days of seeing the others complete the mission, and my sweet little niece was ready for her turn. She stepped up, put her toes right up to the edge, and JUMPED! The look on that tiny wet face was one filled with victory and freedom. She conquered her fear and was free to jump whenever she wanted.

Here's my brave niece, Campbell.

Even as big kids, we benefit from watching others take the first leap. I've been learning a lot about how important it is for me as a follower of Christ to share what the Lord is doing in my life. Hence, this blog. Through messages and conversations with some of you, God's showing me how He loves to use fellow believers - their struggles and triumphs, trials and victories - to build up one another. 

In Acts chapter 2, we read about the fellowship of the believers. 

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (verses 42-47)

Wow! I want to be a part of a church like that! A tiny bit because of all the bread they were eating, but mostly because of the openness and freedom that I feel when I imagine myself in those surroundings.

What if we did that? Let's start to live like God intended the church to live. I don't imagine that those believers we just read about worried too much about what others thought of them. They probably didn't mind being honest about their weaknesses, because it wasn't about them. It was about Jesus. And only Jesus.

But we can't just sit around and wish for this to happen. We have to act. Be the one to take the first step off the ledge. Tell a sister about what you read yesterday when you opened the Bible. Or share with a brother a difficult situation you're facing with your family. It will be uncomfortable at first. The enemy will try his best to steer us away from it. But the moment you invite the Lord to be a part of your conversation, the awkwardness is gone and you'll feel free to fellowship with edifying and loving words.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

You be the one to jump first! Add some courage to those around you. Maybe it means writing about it like my friend Ryan King is doing here. Maybe it means having more meaningful conversations over coffee or riding in the car. Whatever you need to do to "spur one another on," DO IT. 


We could all take a lesson from the little ones at the pool.