But I want to dive off the 33ft high platform. . .

When I was competitively cheering in high school I decided to take a diving class at Ohio State to help me with my gymnastics. The first day I walked into the pool area I remember looking up, and thinking I want to dive from that. I’ve always been the thrill seeker. I figured I’ve dove off of high dives at a normal pool before, and I’m a strong swimmer so why not? The highest Olympic sized platform for diving is 33ft in the air; you can roughly say 3 stories up. It took me a few classes to work up the courage to ask the instructor, and his response surprised me. He would let us climb the stairs and look down, but under no terms were we going to dive off that platform. I’m not a girl that’s afraid of heights but looking 3 stories down into the water was a little humbling. He told us about how he once dove off the platform, and messed up. The water pressure is so intense that when he came up out of the water his bathing suit had been ripped off his body on impact.

In my novice eyes I didn’t know the dangers of diving. When you are up that high, and you don’t enter the water right that water surface can act as if you’d hit a brick wall when speeding. If you don’t know what you’re doing it can cause serious injury. To humor me he let me dive off the highest spring board and one of the times I did, I didn’t lock my hands together like I should have and my arm spun. When I hit the water I hurt my shoulder and it knocked the wind out of me. I could only imagine what diving 3 stories down would do. I’d heard shoulder injuries are common.

Living life in the kingdom and pursuing ministry can also be like the high dive. So often we know the things God has called us to do. They can be like that high platform in the sky, and we can say to ourselves, “Forget the other boards I want to jump off of that one up there.” It can get frustrating because deep down we can prophetically see our destinies towering over our lives but we still are stuck down at a low spring board. But it doesn’t work that way. Our Christian walk and things God has called us to do is a progression.

2 Corinthians 3:18 (The Message), “Whenever, though, they turn to face God as Moses did, God removes the veil and there they are—face-to-face! They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We're free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.”

We have to work our way and train to get to that high dive or the destiny in our lives. We have to allow ourselves to gradually become like Him. It doesn’t happen over night. The training can get frustrating and sometimes you’ll wonder “Am I ever going to get there? Is God just shaking that thing in front of my face to mess with me?” I understand the frustration. I’ve spent a long time crying and having similar thoughts, but we must have faith. We must trust God to do what He says He will do. That’s faith. Believing what you know He has said over what you have seen. You must trust Him because He is your Daddy and He loves you. God doesn’t show you things prophetically just to mess with your head. He loves you. He has good plans for your life. (Jeremiah 29:10) You have to trust him. If he would let you reach that high dive without preparing you, it could cause serious injury to you both physically and spiritually. In the kingdom the injury isn’t going to just hurt you, but it’ll hurt those around you too. He’s taking you through the training for your benefit.

In Philippians 3:12-14 Paul is equating the Christian walk like running a marathon. It wouldn’t make since in the middle of your race you crossed the finish line. No. There is a progression, an order to the way things must be done so that you’re ready to dive off your high dive.

I’ve often said one of the biggest hang ups for prophetic people is learning how to see yourself at point D and E in your life, but being ok with living at point B. You have to be content with where you are in your training. You have to be able to look up and see that high dive over you, know that one day you’ll get there but in the meantime enjoy where you are. You must embrace the training.

One day, if you don’t give up you’ll find yourself on that high platform. You’ll be ready. You’ve been prepared for that moment, and it will be right on time. One day God will be able to see you walking in all those things He is preparing for you now. I can almost see him smiling. His smile is contagious. He is saying, “That’s my kid! Do you see him? Do you see her? They are doing what I created her for on this earth! I‘m so proud of them!” He loves His children so much. He’s making your high dive ready for you. Be encouraged today, and don’t give up for many of you are about to walk into a new day.

 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

....And I broke the Pickle Jar

Lessons Learned In The Pruning Season

Don't Fall For the Fake Jakes!