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Verse:The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand. —Psalm 37:23, 24, NIV
His knees trembled beneath him; his eyes were a picture of pure terror. It wasn’t the first time a student refused to jump off the diving board; in fact, I was becoming accustomed to it. But jumping off the diving board into the swimming pool below wasn’t a new task, for he had already done it. Maybe his terror was associated with me —an adolescent coteacher with no experience in catching him after he splashed down from the diving board. Had he seen through my mask of perfect composure? Suppressing the panic that tightened my chest, I glanced up just in time to see his knees bend.
His toes wiggled once or twice while my coteacher encouraged him softly. The entire pool seemed to quiet while my heart beat faster.
Before I could perceive the boy’s slight movements, he jumped. Instantly, I reached for him, pulling him onto the rescue tube.
I smiled, showering him with encouragement: he had jumped, and I had caught him. This experience of catching a kid from off the diving board, although unnerving, was rewarding. Later in the afternoon, when I was on break, I sat down and thought about the whole experience. I was ecstatic that I had caught a kid, for, in my mind, that was the same thing as saving him. I reflected on how our spiritual lives are much like that boy’s diving-board experience. The problems we face, the terrifying situations we find ourselves in, are like dealing with a high diving board that we must jump from in order to reach our goals. Sometimes we can’t see what’s beyond the jump, for the waters are dark and their depths, unfathomable. In addition, we wonder whether we will find ourselves safe and whole on the other side of the jump. In life, however, we often must make those leaps of faith, trusting that someone will catch us. Thankfully, there’s an immense difference between my swimming-pool diving board and the leaps of faith that God encourages us to make. That difference is this: Rather than a teenager waiting to catch you after you jump, it’s the Creator of heaven and Earth who catches you.
He will never let you drown.
Madeleine E. Miyashiro