i'll catch you

Macaela and our cousins, Stella (7) and Karlo (5), were swimming after dinner tonight. Stella and Macaela were actively playing, splashing, and jumping. But Karlo was mostly just watching from his perch on top of a floaty. After a while he got out of the pool and watched from the deck for a bit. Then Macaela called him from the pool and said, "Jump, Karlo! Jump!" He walked timidly to the edge of the pool... wanting to do what looked so easy and fun, yet afraid of the water that was just slightly over his head. He wobbled on the uncertainty as Macaela continued to try and convince him to jump. Finally, she reminded him, "You can jump, Karlo! I'll catch you!" And immediately, he jumped, joy spreading across his entire face.

In life, there will be many decisions to make. When we hear a call from God, we might not feel at all sure that we will be able to do it. We might be afraid. We can probably come up with plenty of good reasons to stay where we are. It's dangerous in the deep water, we can't swim on our own. As we look at the waves, it can be hard to remember God's promises; I will catch you.

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. ~ Isaiah 41:10


Jesus appears to be holding out his hand to us even as he calls us. He tells us he will provide a bridge over the chasm if we will abide in him. We hear his words, but such language is strange to us, sounding like the dialects of many who have used us or consumed us and then left us along the highway, exposed and alone. We pull back. Many of us return to Vanity Fair and mortgage our heart to purchase more of what is religiously or materially familiar. A few of us arouse our spirit and take a step toward the chasm. ~ Brent Curtis


I can only fly freely when I know there is a catcher to catch me. If we are to take risks, to be free, in the air, in life, we have to know that when we come down from it all, we're going to be caught, we're going to be safe. The great hero is the least visible. Trust the Catcher. ~ Henri J.M. Nouwen


Don't be robbed of the greatest adventure a life could offer. If you never take a step forward, you'll always be in the same place. If you never leave your comfort zone for God, you will never feel His fulfillment.

If God is calling, He will catch you.