Fear Or Adventure, Part 2- Remembering That God Has A Plan

What do you do when God asks you to step out of your comfort zone? Tandy shares her experience with facing her fear, and reminds us that God has a plan in store for our lives!

The Big Day

The day of my big adventure had finally dawned.  Why was I so calm? Shouldn’t I be nervous? The fear had to be lurking somewhere, just waiting for the right opportunity to pounce.

Instead, what I felt was restlessness.  I had the whole morning to kill and kept looking at the clock.  Time was moving at a snail’s pace.

Finally the time came to leave.  I drove with my daughter and her friend.  My 16 year old granddaughter had decided to join us but followed in her own vehicle so she could go to work afterwards.

As we pulled into the parking lot of the small airport, I said, “Now this is starting to feel real.  We are actually going skydiving!”

A Skydiving Adventure!

When we checked in were each handed a waiver to complete.  There were multiple places to initial, indicating that we acknowledged the danger and accepted responsibility.  I figured if this didn’t scare me enough to change my mind, nothing would!

The four of us joined two others as we were led into a hangar and given a quick lesson in what to expect.  Then we were issued jumpsuits and goggles.  After gearing up and being introduced to the professionals who would jump with us, we headed out to the airstrip.   A small plane, affectionately referred to as our “ride” taxied to a stop beside our group.

I didn’t realize as they lined us up to board the plane that we were loading in the reverse order to when we would jump. The rest of my party boarded before me.  In the end I was grateful for this as I didn’t have to watch them disappear out of the door of the plane!

The Excitement Builds

The excitement started to build as the plane took off and I saw the ground getting farther away.  My instructor kept checking to see how I was doing.  More than once he said, “You seem pretty calm.”  The amazing thing was that I actually felt calm.  Where was the nervousness or the sick feeling in my stomach?

My instructor fastened my harness to his so he was securely attached to my back. He showed me the altimeter on his wrist that showed 12,900 feet.  I said, “I thought we were jumping from 12,500 feet.”  He smiled and told me were getting a little bonus!

The other two jumpers exited the plane and it was my turn.  As we inched towards the open door I was told, “You need to know that NO and Go sound the same to me!” There was no turning back now.

No Fear!

One second I had my feet on the floor of the airplane and the next I was completely surrounded by sky.  There was no fear, no life flashing before my eyes.  The sensation was incredible.  What surprised me was the unbelievable noise of the air rushing by.  It not only drowned out all other sounds but also every thought from my mind.  It was difficult to catch my breath.

Here I was in a freefall of 6,000 feet at a speed of 200 km per hour with another adult strapped to my back! I should have felt like I was hurtling towards the ground, at the risk of life and limb. It didn’t feel at all like I was falling.  It was more like a mixture of floating and flying and the feeling was pure exhilaration!

Just before we jumped I was told to cross my arms over my chest.  At the proper time I should feel a tap on my shoulder indicating I could uncross my arms and spread them like I was flying.  I was so engrossed in the sensation of being surrounded by sky that I didn’t feel the tap.  My instructor gently reached around and opened my arms for me.

Suddenly I felt a tug upwards and the loud noise ceased.  The chute had opened and we were enveloped in peace as we gently floated.  My mind cleared as my instructor spoke to me, pointing out various landmarks. I look around me in awe, lifted my head and actually sang a line about skydiving from the song, Live Like You Were Dying. My enthusiasm brought a chuckle from the man strapped to my back.

How to Land

All too soon the ground was approaching and I was given a reminder about how to land.  He would count to 3, I’d position my legs in front of me and we’d land in a sitting position.  It worked perfectly and the landing was soft and not at all jarring.

As the harness holding us together was released, I watched my daughter land nearby.  By the time she was unharnessed, my granddaughter had also landed.  The 3 of us embraced, joyful to have shared this experience. Who would have thought that 3 generations would have gone skydiving together? What incredible memories we created.  In a few minutes we found the 4^th member of our party and each of us shared our exuberance in conquering fear and living the adventure.

God Has A Plan For Our Lives 

That evening I reflected on my calmness, even as I stepped to the open door of the airplane. I expected to have some fear, a sense of, “I must be crazy to do this!”  You may not believe it after hearing this story, but I am not a risk taker.  I firmly believe that I experienced the peace that is talked about in Philippians 4:7

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:7

God has a plan for my life that I know nothing about. He has just removed my excuses for not being brave enough to follow where he leads.  When he asks me to step out into unknown territory I have no reason to fear.  If he could keep me calm when I went skydiving, I know that he will give me peace through whatever storms or adventures are yet to come.

 

How do you overcome fear? We would love to hear from you. Comment below or contact us at HopeStreamRadio.