“When I prayed to God, He freed me from all my fears." ~ Psalm
34:4
Deja shared a common fear: the
fear of heights. She’d even been terrified
of looking down from tall buildings. Hoping
to overcome that crippling fear, she decided to join the parachute school.
Vigorous training helped her prepare for the big moment. But at the signal to jump, Deja froze;
terrified in fear. Jake, the instructor,
led her back safely into the plane.
She was the only one that day who’d left the runway and
landed without jumping. When her
companions met her back at the base they smirked. Even Deja’s close friends were uncomfortable
in her presence. She failed.
Jake took her aside, explaining that it wasn’t unusual to be
afraid. “Real courage comes from facing
and overcoming fear,” he said. “You can
do this!”
They returned to the sky that same afternoon.
Placing his thick forearm on her shoulder, Jake reassured
Deja that she could do this. She nodded,
then swallowed hard.
When it was her turn, she positioned herself on the wing
strut. Without hesitation this time, she plunged from 13,500 feet. Her freefall lasted about 30 seconds before
pulling the ripcord.
It became instantly clear that something was wrong …
terribly wrong. The parachute had become
inoperably tangled. Her training
required that she cut the parachute free.
(Imagine falling at terminal velocity wondering if your reserve chute
might also fail).
“Lord,” she thundered.
“I can’t do this!”
“Yes you can,” her sweet Savior whispered. “I’m going to help you.”
Deja cut the twisted chute loose. She went back into free fall and seconds
later pulled her reserve parachute. Luckily,
it opened without any problems. She floated
effortlessly; gazing at the stunning landscape below. There was nothing more to do than trust the
wind and the silk above. Tears of pure
joy filled her eyes.
It was a perfect landing. She’d conquered the greatest of human enemies:
fear … with God’s grace.
I can’t imagine how many times God’s had to do that with
me. I’ve memorized the conversation:
“Lord, what You’ve asked me to do is too big. I can’t do this.”
Then He speaks directly to my soul, “Yes, you can!”
Time and time again He’s patiently cheered me on my
journey. I might still feel afraid, but I
believe God is with me. I may not be in
control, but I trust the One who is. I
may not know the future, but I know the God who does.
He’s with us in whatever we face, in the turmoil and
struggles, amidst the anxious thoughts and the worries of life. He gives us the power to live courageously
when many things that surround us would tell us to be afraid. He’s got your back!
Father, I’m so grateful for a God who travels
with me every day of my life. Oh, and
I’ve discovered one more thing that makes a big difference: Life goes much
smoother when I give up my control and let You pack my parachute. Amen
