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All of us reach points in our lives where we must face the question whether we should jump or not jump. Such was the case with my first week of swimming lessons.

I was six, and at that point in my life I hated water. I loathed water. You did not ask me to put my head under water because I knew that if I did I was going to die.

Grand Lake, Colorado

I don’t remember much of that week except for the last day. On the last day of lessons we had to jump off the low diving board. I remember standing at the end of the board looking down and seeing only the bottom of the diving pool. There was no way I was going to jump, that is, until my instructor held out a pole for me to grab. I finally jumped for the first time into water that was over my head.

Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t become a great swimmer after that event. In fact, I’m better at sinking than swimming, but it was a turning point for me when I jumped.

Jesus commented about the centurion’s faith who pleaded for his servant’s healing when he said, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.” Matthew 8:10 English Standard Version

The centurion took the leap of faith, trusting that Jesus could heal his servant even if Jesus didn’t come under his roof. The leap of faith I’m writing about is not the leap of seeking direction in life, but of leaping into the arms of Jesus.

There are pivotal points in our lives as Christians where God is calling us to jump into Jesus’ arms, entrusting our lives to him in a way that we never have before.

I could not have jumped off the diving board had it not been for my instructor. Likewise you and I cannot jump into the arms of Jesus without the Holy Spirit. Yet the “Instructor,” the Holy Spirit, is always with you.  And by his power, we jump into Jesus’ arms.

Our lives will never be the same when we make the leap.

Copyright Douglas P. Brauner