Diving Boards
Episode Two, Faith Builder Sale, Moments Matter, and Testing Patience
Welp, I made it back from my pilgrimage to Cedar Point. The high point, literally and figuratively, was our ride on Top Thrill 2. There’s something about going 120mph before being shot 400+ feet straight into the air that really makes you feel alive. There were no casualties, and no one in our family puked (though plenty of folks weren’t so lucky!). It was a great trip to celebrate Porter’s big double-digit birthday, and humanity’s fight against the forces of gravity. The spark of creativity that God gave mankind to get them thinking about how to use science to push folks right to the edge of passing out without actually harming them is an amazing thing.
It’s been another busy week of piling up memories to make this a summer to remember. We spent a day at the lake dodging storms on a pontoon (give me my captain’s hat!), dropped a kid off for his first sleep-away camp (no small feat), and took in Whit’s (our youngest) dive meet. I could talk about the beauty of the water, and how God’s creativity was on display in birds swooping around a mostly deserted lake. Or perhaps the growth in kids that comes from striking out on their own to make new friends and take on new challenges. But what really blew my mind was watching these kamikaze kids fly off diving boards for an hour.
A dive meet sounds official and impressive, and for a certain age of kids it certainly is. Teenagers that have been working for years have mastered the art of flinging themselves off the end of the board and into the air as their bodies flip, rotate, and bend in ways that seem impossible. Then there’s my seven year old, and a whole host of other younger kids taking to the dive well for the first time. Their biggest accomplishment is to get off the board and into the water at all.
This isn’t an indictment of them or the coaches they’ve worked with all summer. Teaching yourself to jump off the board when you want to is the first hurdle to get over. Everything in their little body (and my big body) is screaming at them not to jump, to walk away and back down that ladder to solid ground. The fear of falling, belly flopping, losing their trunks, or bonking their head are only the start of the laundry list of things that could go wrong. Their young coaches (college-aged divers from the local university) spend each practice encouraging them to face all those fears and throw themselves off the board and take the form of a toothpick as they hit the water. It’s not the dive that’s impressive, it’s simply a matter of them getting off the board, into the air, and down to the water without incident.
And it’s not simply a matter of each diver facing their fear. Each parent has to wrestle with their own fear as they see their child’s head sail dangerously close to the board they just jumped off of as they plummet to the water. I’m not sure if it’s my fearful brain, the angle of the sun on the water, or reality that makes it seem like Whit’s going to slam into the board every single time he hops off it. It’s a terrifying experience as they learn the ropes, but we face our fears just like they do. Trusting that the coaches have prepared them for whatever next step their taking in their dive journey, whether that’s a triple back flip or just falling gracefully backward off the board.
It struck me that much of our lives of faith are the same. Each day the Lord is training us as we pour over his word, worship with our church communities, prayer with our spouses, and bear burdens with our friends and families. We’re not always sure what he’s preparing us for (other than the certainty of his return), but we keep listening to his voice and trust that he’s leading us toward something for our good and his glory. Somedays it feels like we’re flying through the air, graceful in our movements and untouched by shame, fear, and anxiety. Other days, our bodies and minds feel out of control as we tumble off the proverbial board simply trying not to splat when we hit the water.
In Isaiah 41:10, the Lord reminds us not to fear. He doesn’t tell us that in a vacuum, the command is couched in a promise that he’ll be with us. Whether it feels like we’re flying or falling, God promises to be near.
“So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
It’s not our training in discipleship and spiritual renewal that holds us up, but God himself. Our efforts to follow him simply remind us of the power his Spirit provides, and helps us to trust in the grace and mercy we have in and through him. So we keep throwing ourselves off the board, with a strong hope that Jesus is at work in us and through us as we catapult toward whatever he’s called us to. If we score perfect 10’s across the board, we can be thankful that God provided that result. And when we collapse in a heap as we hit the water, we can rest knowing that God’s grace is big enough to cover our failure.
Episode Two
We’re off and running with season two of our podcast, Press Pause. On this week’s episode we’re diving into the third commandment, and how to honor and respect the Lord by using his name properly. It’s easy to consider this a simple command to keep certain phrases out of our mouth, and it’s certainly not less than that. However, like most commands in the Bible, God is concerned not just with our outward actions but what’s going on in our hearts. Also, if you follow us on IG, you can like and share this post for a chance to win a copy of our book. Grab a Bible, find ten minutes, and enjoy spending some time learning about the big truths of the faith with your family.
Faith Builder Sale
Some folks are saying this is the best family devotional book we’ve ever produced here at GCF. Others are saying it’s the only family devotional book we’ve ever produced here at GCF. Either way, we’ve got a deal for you. To celebrate our launch of the new season of Press Pause, our friends at NGP have hooked us (and you!) up with a discount code for the book that inspired the pod. Just click that link, add a copy (or a million!) of Faith Builder Catechism to your cart, and use the discount code “PRESSPAUSE” at checkout for 35% off. Each chapter of the book mirrors an episode of the podcast, so you can use them together or use the pod while you’re on the go and the book when you’ve got space at home. There’s no wrong way to combo. Get your copy today!
Moments Matter
“Every second counts because nothing is wasted. Not the burnt sauce. Not the awkward hug. Not the loud family dinner or the failed relationship. Not the tears or the laughter or the long walk home. Every second counts.” I love it when theology and faith show up in the shows and movies that I’m watching (spoiler alert: it’s always there). The Bear was immediately one of my favorites when it burst onto television a few years back. It’s raw and raucous, honest and heartfelt, with emotion bubbling up and over whatever pan might try to hold it (also rated M for mature, so let your conscience guide you AFTER you put your kids to bed). Over at Mockingbird, Davis Johnson examines the what it looks like to live by the law when what our hearts really need is grace. Great show, insightful piece, and a word of grace for all of us.
Testing Patience
Somedays you’re the watermelon getting popped, somedays you’re the one stacking up the rubber bands. Either way, someone’s gonna break. When the heat ratchets up, my neck always has a sunburn that never quite goes away, and we’re running from one event to another seemingly every hour, I’m always one rubber band away from an explosion. Here’s to finding some rest in the last month or so of summer break, and embracing the memories we’re making instead of worrying about what’s next.