{Be Confident} The Distance Between Land + Water

Obeying God is sometimes like a free fall.

Holla if you feel me.

That’s what I’ve been feeling lately.  I feel like the “fall” has been a little longer than I anticipated– I thought it would be over by now.

The more that I feel that way, the more I dig into scripture to make sure that I’m not missing something.  If I’m obeying the Lord, I should feel good, right?  I should feel as if everything will be okay.  I should feel safe, secure, hopeful… right?

Those emotions don’t always come organically.  Sometimes- most times- we simply have to choose them.

One of my good friends happens to live in Eleuthera, Bahamas.  He loves it there– born, raised, and living there still, one of his favorite things to do on the island with his buddies is go cliff diving.

Yes, I know.

My friend jumps off of cliffs…….. for FUN.

The first time he invited me to join him, I denied the invitation immediately.  Free falling from a sixty foot cliff was not my idea of a good time.  So, I watched from a distance as a group climbed the rock formation and jumped from the top of it into the crystal clear waters below.

I secretly promised myself that the next invitation I got to go, I would accept.

Sooner than I had realized, I was climbing the rock formation myself, with my friend in the lead.  A group of us were trekking up the sharp rocks of the cliff a few days after the first invitation had been made.  We made it to the top and I breathed in the salty air as it pulled at my hair.  Things were quieter up here, cooler.  The island and ocean around it could be seen for miles.  It was absolutely breath taking.

One by one, each of our small group made an excited yelp and began jumping from the top, into the water.  They showed me how to jump- hold your nose and point your toes, they said, don’t squirm or flap your arms.  I watched, a little star struck, as they left the peacefulness of the top, and threw themselves over the cliff, letting the water catch them below.

Their excited shrills echoed off of the cliff face as they plummeted.  Finally, I was the only one left. I debated whether or not I could simply climb back down the cliff.  But it was obvious that the rocks were too sharp for that, and it was too dangerous.  Nope.  The safest and quickest way down was to jump.

I didn’t know the outcome.  I didn’t know how long I would be free falling, or what the water felt like below.

All I knew was that I couldn’t go back down the way I had come up, and all I could do was jump.

I gave myself a mental pep talk and then, without hesitating any longer.

…. I jumped.

I quickly realized that the hardest part hadn’t been the decision to jump.  No, it was waiting to see the end of the jump…  Because after I jumped, none of it was in my control anymore.  

It was right then, halfway down, that I let out an excited shrill of my own, laughing in liberation, and waited for the water to catch me.

* * *

I think a lot of us are there.  We’re exactly there.  We’re waiting, striving to understand.  We’re worried that we’re doing something wrong because things don’t really look that great, and they most definitely don’t always feel that great either.

We’re in an in-between stage and we’re just dying for land or water– something to be in, something to stand on.

In the midst of the mess of life, we feel like we’re doing something wrong because we’re in a waiting season, so we strive to do MORE in hopes that some of it will level the playing field.

Sweet friend, a waiting season is a free fall.  You can do nothing within it, and there is a reason for that.

One of my favorite whispers of truth is Psalm 46:10.  It says “Cease striving and know that I am God.”  Other versions translate it as, “Be Still and know”, but something about “Cease striving” really sets my heart on fire.

Because in reality, we’re all striving to be something aren’t we?

Especially now.  In today’s day.

If we’re a business owner, it means we have to do the next thing.  We have to stive to be as good as our competition in the industry.

If we’re in school, we’ve gotta strive to show that we stand out- that our grades are better, our ability is better, our effort is better, so that others see us above the rest.

If we’re single, we have to strive to find someone to be someone– and once we find that someone, He’s has to be THE one, and once he’s “the one”, we’ve gotta have “little ones”.

The cycle never ends.

In a world that screams “keep going”, Jesus whispers, “Be still”

I think the waiting season you’re in is one you should welcome.  Stop struggling.  You’re not in control– and that’s a good thing.  The only thing you can control is your attitude.  That’s where patience comes in.  The difference between waiting and being patient is that Patience is waiting with a good attitude.  Patience knows that the best is yet to come.  Patience doesn’t strive or struggle to be someone. Patience holds tightly to truth, clings to scripture, and remembers who’s in control.  Choose it.

Let this season of waiting be the deep breath you’ve been scared to take.

xo

AnnaFilly

**I know this goes without saying, but DO NOT go cliff diving without an experienced professional with you.**