A standing jump

     Maggie is learning to swim. As long as she can see the '3FT' sign she will allow herself to move from the stairs.
     Getting her to jump to one of us in the pool has proven challenging. We tell her over and over to 'trust me, I will catch you.' Yet she struggles. She crouches...and then sits...gets back up to try again, this time leaning into us.
     "No Maggie, stand up and jump to me..." Then the tears come.
     The fear that grips her is amazing; it baffles me because I know I will catch her.
     I told Matt her struggle is so very similar to the struggle to jump when Jesus says jump.

     Matt and I have "jumped" a time or two. But what if we hadn't? We would have missed so many blessings on the other side of that obedience!
     All of the friendships in the Carolina's that we would have forfeited!
     Our Maggie, whom we cannot imagine life without! The journey to get her was amazing; God showing off at every turn!
     And now Arizona. This move has proven to be the hardest yet. While it hasn't been pretty emotionally, Jesus' peace is so strong in me. HE moved us here. HE IS restoring me.

     All this to say, I'm not convinced that Jesus is concerned with us being comfortable. I think He wants us to trust His bigger plan. I think when we stand up and jump, with no hands, we FIND the pricelessness of Jesus.

     Where is Jesus asking you to jump? Do it. Hands free. Knowing Jesus will catch you.

ONE

     I just realized that my last two days have not been tainted with the dread of never going back to Charlotte. There were days, while alone in the car, that tears would fall simply b/c I miss my people back in the Carolinas. This moving stuff is no joke on the heart.
     Several weeks ago, through a study I am doing, I read a verse from 1 Peter. I have clung to it, contemplated getting part tattooed, and meditated on each word.

[1 Peter 5:10] 

"And after you have suffered a little while, 

the God of all grace, 

who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, 

will HIMSELF, 

restore, confirm, strengthen and establish you."

     I love that it calls him the 'God of all grace'. Jesus holds more than one form of grace.
     Every time I read this verse Jesus not only helps my heart, he tells me to pray the same verse over a sweet friend of mine, who needs His grace in a different form of comfort.
     And 'will himself'...not a friend, not my husband, not my kids, not food, not a program, not all the people I miss...Jesus himself. That's so good!!!
     But the part that I believe is tattoo worthy is restore, confirm, strengthen and establish.
     It's all about allowing Jesus to do those things. The killer is that it is in HIS time. He has to be the lifter of my head, or my restoration won't be complete.

     Time is a beautiful thing. I don't want to fight it right now. I want to take the uncomfortable times of hurt to be that I have loved those I left well. I want to thank Jesus that I was loved well.
     Earlier in 1 Peter 5, verse 7, Peter challenges us to cast all of our anxieties on Jesus for He cares for us.
     Part of wholeness, whatever your journey, is to realize that there is ONE who can restore, confirm, strengthen and establish our souls. ONE. And it ain't you.