Will You Fall For It?

A friend of mine had a BRILLIANT idea for some of us girls all to celebrate her 50^th birthday by going skydiving. I was totally in, thinking “Sky diving. Okay, well that will be fun, and something to ‘add to my life list.’”

Oh-My-Goodness! I never imaged what a ride it would be. Especially with the jumpmaster that was assigned to me. He was a little....well, whacked! He was a nice, clean cut type of guy who looked more like a very studious freshman in college than a sky diver. He didn't exactly look like the crazy man that was RIGHT BENEATH THE SURFACE! He very professionally suited me up and explained the process. He asked if this was my first time jumping. I, very coolly, responded with "Well yes, it is my first time to jump...is it your first time to jump too?" He halfway smirked. I was thinking “Oh, great, I got the boring guy!” NOT! He was just pacing himself!

Allow me to offer a little background for those who don’t know me:

I’m a “planner.” 

A methodical, precise person- who likes to adhere to my schedules and lists. 

For whatever reason, once I got up in the air, thoughts began to hit me left and right:

I hadn’t really thought this through and perhaps I should not have done this. 

Did I pray this through? 

I thought I did, but maybe I should’ve listened more closely.

As funny as it sounds, I had been really busy, and I hadn’t thought this through! Some girls said, “Let’s go” and I said, “I’m in!” I mean, after all, one of the girls on this trip was my pastor’s wife! What better people to jump out of a plane with?

While growing up, my grandmother often told me, “You don’t have enough sense to be afraid of anything.” I, on the other hand, prefer to think of myself as applying God’s Word to my life! I.e., “For God has not given me a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and a sound mind. Another translation says “self-control.” For our purposes today, we will use the former translation as opposed to the latter. Despite the stunts I’ve “pulled”-  I really do have a sound mind! 

As we flew to our jump spot, the guy I was strapped to and his jumpmaster buddy started harassing us. They began saying things like "Yea sometimes we get people up here and they start screaming, ‘Geronimoooooooo’...or at least it sounded like Geronimo but actually they said, ‘I don't wanna gooooooooo’ as they fall.’" I was thinking "Ok, real funny, you little whipper snappers". They went on to say, "And some of our people scream, ‘GO! GO! GO,’ or at least that is what we thought, but when we get them on the ground they were actually saying, ‘NO! NO! NO!’” Then they casually pointed out the place on the reef below where they "feed all the tiger sharks." So when they started to tease me...or at least that is what I thought...in an effort to appear to be a non-wimp who was more than willing to hang with the best of 'em, I started to agree to EVERYTHING THEY SAID. 

After all, I’m a chosen generation! A royal priesthood! His own special girl! I proclaim the praises of Him who called me out of darkness into His marvelous light! All of which is contrary to being a wimp!

My jumpmaster asked me "So, are you into twists, turns and spins?" I casually said while waving him off, not believing a word that was coming out of his mouth, "Oh-yeah, just do whatever." Then he asked me "So you wanna go out backwards?" I said....in my most fearless voice..."Oh yeah, let's just go for it all!" Even as I uttered those words, I was completely confident that they'd NEVER do these things with a first timer. When they opened the door of the plane, this guy literally picked me up and very efficiently placed me where he wanted me and in short order! He was freakishly strong! Two tandem teams went before me, and they went face first. So, imagine my surprise when my jumpmaster literally whirled me around to where MY BACK WAS TO THE DOOR!!!

Now, those who personally know me know I do not like surprises. Not surprise parties, not surprise surprises, and certainly not surprises while jumping out of a plane! I said, "Hey! I need to always see where I'm gooooooooooing!" At which point he LITERALLY FLUNG ME OUT OF A PERFECTLY GOOD, OPERATING PLANE...BACKWARDS...and then threw us into the SPIN OF A LIFETIME! I did not know which way was up! I really don't think I could've given anyone my name had they asked! Then we were in a free fall through the clouds where precipitation is hitting our faces at a very alarming rate! I’ve learned, at odd times, that I often have odd thoughts. Please bear with me as I explain!

At that moment, my mind flashed back to high school science, and actually thought to myself, “Wow, my teacher really was correct! The clouds actually DO hold precipitation.” And said precipitation was stinging my face mercilessly as I was falling through the clouds at 120 mph!

I have NEVER SCREAMED that LOUD or that MUCH in my WHOLE-ENTIRE-LIFE!!! And it was an involuntary scream. It felt as if it was coming from my chest, and out of my head. But I didn’t feel like I was the one making that sound. I finally thought, “Who is that still screaming?!? Oh, is that ME?!?” So, naturally...I stopped. I was a little embarrassed because I rarely put myself into positions where I might lose composure. Sheepishly looking for encouragement, I said, "Does everybody scream like that?!?" He said, "Oooooo, you are right up there with the best of 'em!" Oh, ok...thanks whipper-snapper....for making me feel sooooo much better about my lack of self-composure. 

When it was time to jerk the parachute...the chute deployed...in all things give God the glory! Now I was thinking “Okay, the adrenaline rush is over. We'll merrily float to our landing strip, and I will have added one more cool thing to my “to do list in life."

Not so fast. The little whipper snapper had yet another "power surge," and flings us into a spin to the left. Then into a spin to the right. Then lifts us “WHOOOOOOOOOOOOP”...up and away I don't know how many feet. And he repeated this process several times! What IS WRONG with people?!? He finally gets himself composed, or at least I think, and we gently float along the most beautiful coastline I've ever seen in my life! Mountains, ocean, reef, skyline, clouds, surf hitting the rocky shore of the North Shore of Oahu where the ocean meets the island...it is truly indescribable. God's wonders truly NEVER CEASE! From that vantage point, I was even further in awe of God and His amazing creation! 

The God Who made the universe, and everything in it, truly is the Lord of Heaven and earth!

As we closed in our landing strip, he gave us one last flingy circle- where it looked as if we were going to make very quick and very hard contact with a building (told ya’ he was a little whacked!) From some place outside of my being, I heard myself or him (you can guess which) let out a BIG “WAAAAHOOOHOOOHOOO!!!”

God has so richly and so abundantly blesses me with opportunities to do many exciting, amazing things. Skydiving was absolutely the most exciting, coolest, adrenaline rush I have ever experienced. With one exception...and that was falling for Jesus!

Fall for Him today. He came to give you and me life in excessive abundance...and we shouldn't waste a day of it!