“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27 (NKJV)
There are times when the Lord asks us for blind trust. I remember a rope swing at the Mennonite hostel in Kinshasa, the capital city of my adopted country of Congo. I longed to ride it, especially when I heard the squeals of delight from the other kids as they flew through the air off the branch of the tree the swing was tied to. I climbed the tree many times, but always backed down due to my fear.
One day, I knew that I would get on that swing and take the risk of falling fifteen feet to the ground. The ground wasn’t suddenly any closer, nor had I become braver overnight. It was only that I wanted to know the joy of putting my trust in that rope and flying through the air. I climbed the tree and placed my body on the thin strip of wood, closed my eyes, and jumped off. The moment I left the branch, I was overcome with fear, but it was too late to turn back. I was in mid-air. A fleeting thought passed my mind of the pain that would be the result of the fall if the swing couldn’t hold my weight.
But as the ground whizzed by underneath me and I came up on the other side, I opened my eyes and laughed out loud for the joy that was now mine because I dared to believe the rope could hold me.
How comforting to know that underneath us are the everlasting arms – not a rope and a slab of wood – but the arms from which we cannot be snatched. I have heard the Lord ask me, “Shawn, are you willing to jump? Are you willing to trust and KNOW that it is only my arms holding you up, or do you just want this only as head knowledge?” I have jumped and must admit to you that I have not gotten to the other side yet. The fears have flashed before me for longer than a few seconds. I still feel the ground rushing toward me. But I am believing, by faith, that the exhilaration of obeying with blind trust will be mine if I hold on.
Jesus, blind trust would be foolish in anyone or anything other than You. Help me in this time of darkness to hold Your hand and know that I have nothing to fear.
