Mid-Air

I don’t know what season of life you are currently in, but I have the best of both worlds in my family.  We have two sons: one at home getting really excited about starting high school and one in college really excited about his studies and what God is doing in him while at Biola University.

At Biola they have chapels to attend; a required 30 for the semester.  This is the last week of school before finals and graduation.  Wisely the theme of chapels this week is “God’s Call on Your Life”.  Our son’s a great communicator and is often willing to share what he’s been learning (see previous post to know where he got that!) and today was no exception.  He called me right after chapel to tell me how great it was and that I need to get the recording.  I wanted to know why it was great and he shared some tidbits that made me think of things that God is teaching me right now.

The speaker talked about our common desire to know God’s plan for our lives, rather than simply trusting His good plan.  He used an illustration of a trapeze artist at the moment of letting go to just prior to grabbing on to the next bar.  He called that mid-air.  He challenged the listeners to live life mid-air; trusting God without knowing for sure what is next.

The image reminded me of something this very same son made me do two years ago when he was working at Hume Lake Christian Camp as a High Adventure guide.  They have trust building activities that are optional for campers to participate in, but for this visiting mom, there was no option.  Check this out and then I want to tell you what happened to me.

That’s not me in the video, but I did what she did.  42 feet up in the air stands the platform.  That’s really high especially when you look down!  While on the platform you get locked into the harness and the cables.  The guide is hooked up to the platform in case any wild camper or mom grabs them for “safety”.  So there I stood, just like Jessie in the video, getting ready to go off backwards.  My son was holding the harness to drop me whenever I gave him the okay.  It was a very frightening moment for me and he knew it.  He was not trying to rush me or goad me on, he really wanted me to make the decision to fall backwards.  I told him I was afraid.  He said, ” I know Mom.  But this is your chance to know you are in God’s hands.”  With that I took a deep breath and said Ok.

Then I felt it.  Crazy adrenaline! Weightless falling.  Micro-seconds of unseen support.  Mid-Air.

When Matt shared what today’s chapel speaker had said of trusting God’s plan  and living mid-air, I was immediately reminded of that sensation.  It scared the bejeebees out of me in the waiting, but once I was mid-air I was fine.

What does that mean for us in the waiting for God’s plan to unfold?  We have to face the fear of the unknown.  Fear is an emotion and like all emotions is intended to bring us to our Abba to share it with Him.  We don’t know what is around the bend or off the platform, but God does.  He knows the plans He has for us, plans for welfare and not calamity, to give us a future and a hope.

Can you risk mid-air?  I am.  And God’s carabiners are strong and perfect and His cables go for eternity!  What a ride!