Take the Leap of Faith

Hanging with my sweet grandson always leads to talking about animals -- after all, he has 32 animals of his own. Seems we integrate some kind of animal story into just about every conversation. After all, I've dubbed him the "animal whisperer" because all of those critters seem to calm in his presence.

I heard a very interesting message about the Impala, a medium-sized African antelope. The only "Impala" I ever knew about was the Chevrolet Impala -- particularly because it was my husband's first car. Little did I realize that the name "Impala" was selected for the Chevy because of the characteristics of the animal, the Impala. The Impala's most characteristic movement is its unique leap. In the wild, they can run at very high speeds and jump to heights of 10 feet over bushes and even other Impala, and they can cover distances of up to 33 feet in one leaping bound. That's quite amazing that their inbred abilities give them that extra "protection" against being prey for more dominant animals.

But, here's the most interesting fact about the Impala. If they are held captive in zoos by a mere 36-inch wall, they will not act on their natural instincts. That's because they simply can't see what's on the other side of that little wall. What stands between them and freedom is taking a leap of faith.

Friday night we watched a "Running Wild With Bear Grylls" TV episode with Deion Sanders as his guest celebrity to take to a challenging adventure that included jumping a canyon and eating snake. As fearless as Deion might have seemed as a running back for the Dallas Cowboys, we witnessed him being paralyzed with fear to have to jump a canyon. No positive words that Bear spoke to him had enough motivation to give him the courage to jump. But when Deion started praying HARD out loud and in tongues, within a few moments, he had gained the courage to take that "leap of faith"....and he did so successfully.

What a testament to God's stamp of approval with this post today when I looked up at my friends' glass case and I saw an Impala inside (pictured here) -- never saw it before, but on this day, I knew God was giving me a high-five on this message for us!

Perhaps we are like the Impala -- if we can see where we're headed, if we know what our destination is, if we know the end result -- we'll give it all we've got. But what if the way isn't clear? What if there's a killer-gap between our start to finish? What if we don't know what tomorrow holds? What if we don't have all the answers? But still, what if we take a LEAP OF FAITH even though we don't know what is on the other side? It's about TRUSTING in He Who already knows and has the plans for our tomorrows. We simply TRUST. Proverbs 3:5,6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths" -- and, I might add.....even give you extra turbo-charged energy and power to "run through a troop and LEAP OVER THE WALL!" Psalm 18:29.

Maybe we should sing along with Diana Ross....'There ain't no mountain (or walls) high enough to keep me from..... leaping over them!"

Got Mountains?

Seattle is one of my favorite places to visit -- of course, the main reason is because my kids live there, but, coming from the plains, I have a great appreciation for the massive, magnificent Northwest mountains – the Cascades, Mt. Rainier, Glacier Peak, and so many more. I’ve enjoyed hiking on them, fishing under them, driving through them, tubing and skiing down them. These amazing mountains were created by our Master Creator for a purpose, much of which is sheer enjoyment for His kids.

But, what about the mountains in our lives – those vast, enormous obstacles and circumstances that seem beyond overwhelming, that seem like a dead end to any progress forward? Our mountains might even be people who represent discomfort, annoyance, harassment, bitterness, and pain in our lives. We think that if only these mountains were removed, our lives might be more peaceful, comfortable, and a lot easier to be holy. And, we know Matthew 17:20 "Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." But these “mountains” might just be the very perfect plan of our Creator (the same One, who created the majestic mountain ranges) to help us become and achieve what He created us to be and do. Everything we encounter in our lives are part of the undescribable love He has for us -- part of His Master plan.

There must be mountains to appreciate the valleys. And perhaps, God, in all His wisdom, is wanting us to scale those mountains. He is wanting us to hike up those mountains, for a “mountain-top experience” where we are refreshed, restored, nourished, and where we receive divine revelation. His revelation is always intended to grow our faith, strengthen our resolve, and equip us to take on any mountain that may be standing in our way.

As I was writing this message, in my head was this song -- I think it perfectly describes God's unfailing love song to us. I know it's a secular love song -- but, after all, God IS Love and He is a mountain-moving God.

"There ain't no mountain high enough
Ain't no valley low enough
Ain't no river wide enough
To keep ME from getting to you.

If you need ME, call me
No matter where you are
No matter how far
Just call MY name
I'll be there in a hurry
You don't have to worry

Remember the day
I set you free
I told you
You could always count on me
From that day on I made a vow
I'll be there when you want ME
Some way, some how

There ain't no mountain high enough
Ain't no valley low enough
Ain't no river wide enough
To keep ME from getting to you.