Catch Me!

I spent the day with my dad today, helping him run tubing for in floor heating on the foundation of a new out building.  By the time we were finished running the tubing, both he and I could hardly walk due to the age of our legs, knees and backs.  This has not always been the case.  In fact, as a child I remember standing on the end of a dock while my dad urged me to jump into the water.  The water was over my head, but it was not over his.  Yet, he beckoned me to trust him and take the leap of faith.  I continued to hesitate.  I even hesitated after I watched my older brother jump from the dock and into my dad’s arms.  Sure enough, my dad caught my brother just as dad had promised.  Yet I waited. 

Finally, after what must have seemed an eternity, I mustered my courage and jumped.  To my surprise I did not plummet below the surface.  To my surprise I found myself safely in the grasp of a 25 year old father whose knees, legs and back did not yet hurt. I doubt that he would invite me to jump into his arms like that today.

I must admit, the jump was wonderful! It was thrilling.  In fact, it was so thrilling that I continued to make trips out of the water…onto the dock…into the air…and back into the waiting arms of dad who was standing in water up to his chest.  Each time I approached, he called, “Jump,” and each time he caught me. 

However…there is always a however in life…however…after a while of idle beach time, I ran to the dock…I came to the edge…and I jumped and said…”Catch me daddy!”  The problem was, that dad was not there calling to me, “Jump.”  Once I was airborne I realized my error.  I hit the water…then I went under the water…and then my feet were standing underwater on the wet lake bottom sand.

Fortunately for me, dad was near enough to grab be and pull me back to the surface…unfortunately…I didn’t have gills.  I came up coughing and hacking with water shooting from my nose. 

Faith is an interesting thing.  So often we struggle to have faith in the one who is calling to us…Jesus.  Then, at times when we see that he is indeed trustworthy…we jump…and he proves himself faithful.  Yet, there are other times, when we do not take the time to listen for his leading…and instead of waiting on him, we attempt to control his actions by acting on our own. 

We see something like this in Matthew 17:14-20.  Here Jesus is met with a man whose son is demon possessed and is in desperate need of healing.  The disciples have “tried” to cast the demon out but they have been unsuccessful.  I think what we find here is people who have tried to do spiritual actions on their own apart from a dependence on the real Master.  Perhaps they have sought to act on their “own” authority as opposed to the REAL authority…Jesus.

May we come to see that Jesus IS trustworthy and growing in our faith must be rooted in listening to him and submitting to His authority.