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Jun 08, 2026 06:00am

The Leap That Changed Everything

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“Are you sure this thing will catch me?”

Never in my life would I have dreamed this is where I would find myself. Yet, there I was, standing on top of a shaking telephone pole, some thirty feet in the air. Well, maybe it was shorter or maybe it was taller . . . it was high. And maybe the pole wasn’t shaking; that could have been my legs. But let’s stay focused here.

Every summer, I led a group of twenty high schoolers through a camp called MASH. It was designed to immerse them in the world of health care and show them what a career in this field would be like. They job shadowed, listened to experts in different fields, participated in hands-on activities, and climbed to new heights on telephone poles. That last one was part of an all-day outing designed to develop trust and teamwork.

For them.

Not for me.

And yet, here I was, standing on top of this pole. See, there was a bar several feet away that, once you climbed to the top of the pole, you were supposed to jump and grab hold of. Getting to the top of the pole was only part of the challenge. Then you had to figure out how to pull yourself up and stand on top—with nothing to hold on to. And somehow, you were supposed to muster enough courage to take that leap and grab the bar.

That’s where I found myself on that hot summer day. If I was going to tell these students it was fine, they wouldn’t get hurt, they could do it, and they should be brave—you know, all the things that are easy to say when you’re standing safely on the ground while they’re the ones up on the pole . . .

I knew it was safe. I knew the harness around me would hold. I knew the rope attached to me was secure. I trusted it. That’s what led me to climb up there.

But now that I stood at the top, the hardest part was still ahead.

It was taking that leap. That giant leap. The moment where I was no longer in control. I was simply trusting.

Faith.

Did I truly believe? Or was it all just lip service?

Colossians 1:23

“If indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard . . .”

Paul continued confronting the false teaching that had made its way into the church at Colosse. Some were saying if you lived a life that eliminated all desires and pleasures, then you would be saved. Others said you also had to follow certain rituals and ceremonies to be saved. These were just a few of the false ideas causing confusion. Altogether, they pointed people toward trusting in something other than Jesus Christ alone for salvation.

But Paul reminded them of the truth they already knew—the truth they had heard.

The Gospel.

It had been preached to them. They knew the facts.

But they still needed one thing: faith.

That’s where you move from trusting yourself while standing on that pole to believing with assurance that even if you don’t make it to the bar, you’ll still be safe.

Often, we face situations, circumstances, and decisions that bring us to a place where our own answers and control come to an end.

This is where faith steps in.

Maybe you’re at that place today. Standing thirty feet in the air on a tiny pole, knowing you need to take that step. But you’re questioning, “Can You really save me, God? Do You really have that power? Can I really trust You?”

Remember the Gospel.

He has never given you a reason to doubt Him. He is always faithful. He fulfills His promises—just as He said He would. If Christ can overcome the grave and defeat death, He can save you. He can carry you through whatever you’re facing today.

But you have to trust Him.

You have to take that leap of faith.

Learn more at follow.lifeword.org.