You know how sometimes you look at a picture and think, “Wow… she is so brave.”
Yeah… that girl is not me. Or at least, not yet anyway.
Because thanks to a little help from technology (and maybe a slight overestimation of my adventurous side), I now have a photo of me and my friend jumping out of a plane. Hair blowing, smiles on our faces, looking like we just decided to casually launch ourselves into the sky for fun.
Let me just say for the record… I have never jumped out of a plane. Not even close. I’m the kind of person who holds onto the railing going down the stairs if I’m wearing socks, so the idea that I just stepped out into open air feels a little… aggressive.
But I will admit this. When I saw the picture, I had two thoughts. First, that looks terrifying. And second, that actually looks kind of amazing.
Because there is something about the idea of jumping that stirs something deep inside of us. Not necessarily the falling part, because no one is signing up for that on a random Wednesday. But the courage it represents. The willingness to step out of what feels safe and known and say, “Okay… I’m doing this.”
The truth is, I may not have jumped out of a plane, but I have stood on the edge of a lot of things in life. Moments where I had to decide whether to stay where it was comfortable or step into something I couldn’t fully see yet. Starting over. Letting go. Trusting God when things didn’t make sense. Walking into rooms where I didn’t feel qualified. Saying yes when everything in me wanted to say, “Let’s just sit this one out.”
Those are jumps too. And honestly, those have felt scarier than any plane ever could.
So maybe this picture isn’t a lie. Maybe it’s a glimpse. A reminder of the kind of life I want to live. Not reckless, not wild for the sake of it, 
but willing. Willing to trust. Willing to step. Willing to say yes when God nudges my heart, even if my feet would rather stay planted.
Because I’m learning that you don’t have to jump out of a plane to be brave. Sometimes bravery looks like showing up when it’s hard, believing again after disappointment, taking one small step when you’d rather stay still, or trusting God in places that feel very uncertain.
And who knows… maybe one day I really will jump out of a plane. We’re not committing to a date. Let’s not rush things.
But until then, I’m learning that the real jumps in life aren’t always the ones people see in pictures. They’re the quiet ones. The ones between you and God. The ones where He whispers, “Trust Me,” and you take a step anyway.
And those might just be the bravest jumps of all. 💛
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