The trust fall

Jesus is the perfect gentleman. He is kind, endearing, and of course gentle. His gestures are warm and inviting. Jesus never forces his way upon us. He doesn’t insist or push. On the contrary, he invites with his hand outstretched. Jesus opens the door and invites us to walk through. He patiently waits for us to take him up on his offer. The invitation is there; it is now our decision to accept and walk. It’s hard to see the doors sometimes. What does an open door from Jesus look like? The types of doors are many, but one thing is constant; the invitation draws us into a more intimate and trusting communion with Him. Jesus invites us through others or He can directly speak into our heart; you know, those words that come from deep within and resonate and reverberate throughout our entire being, and they don’t go away. Essentially, He is inviting us to take his hand, accept the invitation and trust Him.

For me, sometimes taking Jesus’ hand can feel a little like that game you play at camp called the trust fall. You stand with your back towards a group who supposedly will catch you as you fall backwards. It’s hard to let go and scary to blindly fall. And that’s what trust is really about- knowing that when you let go, someone will be there to catch you. That’s what is so hard about the invitation Jesus offers. We aren’t sure of where it will lead and it’s scary to let go of what we know. There is a false sense of comfort in what is familiar. But Jesus stands at the bottom of the trust fall waiting to catch us. He invites us to trust.

I love the story of Zacchaeus, the tax collector. Scripture tells us that he climbs up a tree in order to see Jesus. We read that he climbs a tree because he is a small man and can’t see above the crowds. My guess is he also felt safe up in the tree as tax collectors weren’t exactly liked by the townspeople. “When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly” (Luke 19:5-6). Can you imagine what Zacchaeus would have missed out on had he not accepted the invitation, come down from the tree and trusted Jesus?

We can stand on the platform of the trust fall and take the plunge. We can stand there waiting for enough courage to let go and fall back, or we can stay on the platform and never experience what Jesus has to offer. We may get stuck on the platform for a long time as we try and let go of what we believe feels safe. All the while, Jesus patiently waits for us. He doesn’t make us do it. He stands, kindly looking on and encouraging us to trust. I can’t think of a better place to fall than into the arms of Jesus where it’s safe, peaceful, and trustworthy.

I am asking the Lord to show me what platforms I may be stuck on or what tree I may be hiding in. Jesus will patiently wait as long as necessary. I’m the one that may miss out on what Jesus has to offer if I am too afraid to fall.