Cliff Diving

Genesis 24:42 -- "So today when I came to the spring, I prayed this prayer: 'O Lord, God of my master Abraham, please give me success on this mission.' "

We were so far out in the middle of nowhere that the waves rolling in, some fifty feet below were almost non-existent. No splashing and crashing into the cliff face or plunging ashore on the beach some hundred yards to my right. Nope ... nearly a dead calm. The ocean is more likely to look like that a ways out from solid ground than it is at sea-side. So standing there, looking down into an all but black ocean with who knows what below the surface looking up at me, I began to feel the butterflies running a-muck in my tummy - let loose from their cages and ordinarily dormant state of calm.

The four people I'd agreed to go hiking with were pressed up closely against my back...timidly peering over the cliff face - seemingly hiding behind me in reverent silence.  We were hot.  We'd ventured out in the wee hours of day-light, far from our camp sight on this marvelous Senior Class last hoorah before graduation. It was high noon, and a dip in that cool water was calling to us loudly. Hoping to get as far 'round the island as possible and then circle back to camp,  we'd come as far as the earth was going to let us go - unless we took a dip to swim around the jagged point that jutted out into the wild Pacific, it seemed that our hike had come to a premature end.

I let out a deep breath. "Well?" Heath asked. Nikki looked up at me in anticipation of my answer.  How come I was suddenly group leader? I don't recall bringing it up for a vote.  And technically, Heath was on the student counsel....I was just a class member. AND .... we were far removed from school property so none of the politics mattered, anyway.

I looked down again.  Then, I took in a deep lung full or air and plunged myself over the side, tucking my knees to my chest in a cannon ball and pushing off with as much momentum as I could muster.  My hope was, jumping as far out from the cliff as possible I might not hit volcanic rocks hidden beneath the surface up against the drop off -- and using a canon ball, I might generate a big enough splash to scare any marine life that might be hanging out in the calm. I figured, they would be more frightened than curious and dart out of my way.

I guess it worked. My cowardly comrades [as I like to think of them] were peeking over the cliff face in anticipation of my re-surface. Again, Heath shouted out to me "well?".

I gave them the thumbs up and one-by-one, they followed my fearless, if perhaps, not-to-bright leap over the edge. That's when I felt it. The jelly-fish. Every inch of me started to sting and I cried out.  We were too close to the other side to head back, so we kept on until to we found access to a sandy shore, and then sloughed out to get a look at the damage.

Definitely stung, but thankfully not scarred, we took a gander at our resources. No one had to pee [sadly?] so we took dry sand and scraped our legs and arms until they were raw, drawing out some of the poison, but certainly taking some of the sting. The "crisis" over, we kept on hiking. It was a brilliant tropical day, and we couldn't get back the way we'd come .... so we just kept on going.

It occurs to me now, that in spite of what I may have believed when I was seventeen, I was NOT invincible.  The outcome of our little stunt could have been very different.

Ever leap before you looked? How did THAT turn out?

In a newly discovered on-line devotional sight I was introduced to a daily study by Rick Warren. In today's post, he talks about planning and praying. In Gensis 24, Eliezer has been given the task of finding a bride for Isaac.  He didn't jump off the cliff face without a plan. And he prayed for a successful mission. It certainly made me think. And it reminded me of my senior class trip, when I jumped fifty feet into deep waters without really thinking it through.

I like that Eliezer recognized right away, that he may have been slightly over his head in his quest.  He didn't waste any time trying to get the thing done on his own.  He thought it through and prayed for help. He prayed for assistance. He prayed ..... for SUCCESS.

It sometimes amazes me how often I don't even think to pray for success. I don't know why. I often pray for help, for strength, for healing, .... even for inspiration, but it doesn't occur to me to pray for success. Perhaps it's way past time I did, no? One would think that the jelly fish "attack" [that bothers me to this day], would be a good reminder to pray and plan before I jump into a situation with both feet.

I'm thankful that God sends us gentle reminders now and then. I am ever in awe of His living Word.