To The Man or Woman Afraid to Jump

 To The Man or Woman Afraid to Jump 

Jessica Sunday

Jump.

A four letter word that requires so much contemplation at times. Sometimes the jumps we take in life are moments of great fear often overshadowing us with hesitancy. It is in the dark questions before the jump which keep us chained down. What if I jump?  What if I get hurt by "the jump" I want to take? What if I do this and fall right on my face? What then, friend? 

Believe it or not, we all have taken jumps in life. Some we were required to take to get us to a certain place regardless of the journey while others were jumps of our own accord. Some jumps we had to take in life were ones that took us to places of achievement such as getting promoted to the next grade in school. Those stepping stones filled our bodies with nervous emotions during those early years. I mean, we all knew the next grade got more challenging, right? Maybe that was only me who had that fear of entering a new grade in elementary and high school. Then, there was the "first job jump." We had to prepare our resume and pretend what our first job interview would be like. Those were just two examples of jumps required in order to get us to a specific place. In hindsight, those were decisions we were going to have to make in order to find part of our purpose in life - a completed education and a job. Do you know what though? You made those jumps! Congratulations! 

Other jumps are not as easy. These are "jumps" you decide to take on your own accord such as the "social dilemma jump." This is a jump everyone needs to decide on continually throughout one's life. It is an everyday battle to reflect on what side you stand your ground. It is a jump one is introduced to at a young age. Do I do what everyone else is doing to be popular or should I do what is right that everyone mocks? Someone once said that what is popular is not always morally right to do and what is morally right to do is not always popular. It is a jump that will cost you friends if you decide to go against the social norms and live your life in an honorable way despite of the unpopularity it brings. Stand firm in those beliefs, and do not be shaken. Know that jump will be worth it. 

Furthermore, there are other jumps that are important to make of your own accord because of someone's actions toward you. Remember, the saying, "Actions speak louder than words."? My friend, they do! Someone's actions may be so hurtful that you must decide to jump for the better. Yes, I just said for the b.e.t.t.e.r.  This is not a "peace-out I am leaving you hanging jump." The ones who truly know you are confident of the man or woman you are at core value. They know deep desires you have, the next goal you want to accomplish, the messy battle you are facing, and the downcast emotion you carry on the inside when everyone else sees the smile. At core value, they see the lovely heart you truly do possess. The heart that person has would surpass anything for those around him or her even the people that cause that person unnecessary distress. It is the unlovely person who is indifferent to those core values everyone else knows well except himself or herself because they were too busy crippling the person they claimed to love with sharp words of resentment and cruelty. The words were followed by trends of their actions of disrespect and division. 

I said something the other day that convicted myself. It went something like, "You are great at being there for those who hurt you, but now it is time to know your worth." There is only so far you can go in helping others. People need to have a desire to help themselves which is not always the case.  Some have no ambition to move forward and will continue the record of their actions toward you.  In those times, know your worth. Know the difference between God's grace and being gentle with yourself- your emotions, your actions, and your energy. Know the difference between being the byproduct of someone's actions of  harm versus knowing when to walk away in understanding your worth. Remember, the one reading this post is worth it. 

In the beginning of the post I contemplated some questions of fear we often think before we take that next jump. What if we decided to shift our thinking to the positive of that next jump? 

Let's shift our perspective. 

• What if I jump? No. When will I jump?  
• What if I get hurt by "the jump" I want to take? No. What will it take for me to grow from the jump I will take? 
• What if I do this and fall right on my face? No. When will I do this and stand firm on everything that led me to this jump? 
• What then, friend? Yes, what then, friend? 

Do you still have doubts about taking your jump?
Take my hand, and let us jump together!

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

II Timothy 1:7