A Giant Leap of Faith

What does a Flop means? As per dictionary, it means to be completely unsuccessful; fail totally. Whenever the person thinks about an idea, a technique which have great revolution if fulfilled but eventually fails, then it is called Flop. So, how can we beat something which is called flop by the world? The answer is taking a Leap of Faith on what you are doing. Let me tell you an inspirational story of Dick Fosbury.

Dick Fosbury was an American High Jump Olympic Gold Medallist who participated in the Summer Olympics 1968. He won the only gold in that event. But his journey towards winning the gold medal was not easy. When he started his career for track and field, he tried his hand in sprinting, shot put and many other sports. But he was unsuccessful in all of that. Suddenly one day, he saw a high jump pole and got attracted to it. Being a 6 footer, he knew he can be successful in high jump event. So he started getting trained for the event. At first, his coach taught him, straddle technique, Western Roll, Eastern cut-off. All these technique was famous as well as used well in the grand event. But Fosbury have difficulty in every single move. Whenever he jumped, he was unsuccessful. And other athletes called him “FLOP”. But that didn’t stop him from trying again and again. Being an engineering student, he created a technique in which he ran towards the pole, and jump backwards to make a curve and land on his back. He started training for it, and suddenly he was successful. His coach didn’t approve it and said to him to go back to old methods and don’t make a fool out of himself.  But he was adamant and believed of what he was doing.  So he continued it and was successful each time when the bar is raised. When he reached Olympics, everyone mocked and laughed in his technique, but surprise to see that he was jumping tirelessly every time the bar was raised. And then he won the Olympic gold medal. This was a revolution on High Jump Techniques and now it became the only technique to clear the pole. The move was called the “Frosbury Flop” from then on. It all came because he took a leap of faith and believed what he was doing is right.

When we see the story of David and Goliath, and put ourselves in place of David. He was disowned by his own family, king had less faith in him, his own people and enemies were mocking seeing him standing in front of Mighty Goliath to fight. I mean, I am 5’2”, and if I see a 7 feet man in front of me, he will be a giant to me. But David was much smaller and Goliath was taller 5 feet and 9 feet respectively. But the Faith in God running through David urged him to go and face Goliath after all. When he picked 5 Stones from the valley, again people mocked at him. How could anyone defeat Goliath just by stones?  But they are unaware that, God himself chose David and He was with him. All he has to do is to take a Giant Leap of Faith irrespective of all negativity around him. And he defeated Goliath with just one stone. This is how Lord works for his people. The same people who mocked and belittled him, started to praise him and considered him greater than Saul. All he had to do is to trust God and march ahead.

This is what we also need to do in our Christian life. The saddened truth of modern Christian life is that the Faith in which we grew up, started to wear off from us. It may be because when we see a trouble in front of us, we start to duck it, we try to get past it, or even run from it rather than facing it. Very few take the courage to face the challenge by faith. Surely we won’t be that strong enough to face it physically or even mentally, but if we have trust in God and ensure what you are doing is right in front of God, then just face it and God will not put you to shame. When Job faced trials in life oriented from Satan, he didn’t complain, he didn’t mourn but faced it like a true believer because of his integrity and faith in God. Whenever trouble comes in your way, just believe that God wants you to be strong to face it. Even the story of ten talents, teach us that. The Lazy servant was too afraid to loose the only talent he got instead of believing to multiply it. If God has entrusted you something, maybe an opportunity which may have a risk, He has planned something marvellous out of it. If it is trouble, the miracle is to face it and if it is a talent, the miracle is to take it to greater heights that you can never imagine.

Let us be like David and Job, who faced their trials by FAITH even when people mocked them. In the end, only those will be remembered in the world who faced the situations by faith and not those who ran from it.

MAY GOD BLESS YOU

Jesson Jacob John