The Story I Tell Myself

Mar 10, 2023

Five years ago my wife surprised me with a skydiving trip.

Let me be clear. My wife surprised her terrified-of-heights husband with the opportunity to jump from 14,000 feet above the surface of the earth from an airplane. I, of course, am always down for any chance to work my adrenal glands, but this one was pushing it for me.

The night before my big jump, I was in bed processing how I would pull the shoot if my instructor passed out. I was thinking of what would happen if I hit a bird on the way down. I was wondering how flat a human would become if they hit the earth at that speed. I was trying to predict what would happen.

I learned that my instructor had jumped with over 1000 people and had never had an accident or incident. Suddenly, the thought of every outcome I predicted seemed so farfetched and I began to discover a faith in him, and a clearer understanding of the reality that was in front of me. Don’t get me wrong… I could barely breathe on the plane ride up, and before the jump. But all the while, I had a different understanding of reality which gave me peace in clarity.

I share this because in the book of Luke 8:40, a man named Jairus runs to Jesus and falls at his feet asking if he can heal his very sick daughter.

I’m sure at this point the man was running through thousands of outcomes, and very few of them ended with his daughter making it through another day.

Between the moment that Jairus asks for the help of the Son of Man, Jesus feels healing power leave him in a crowd due to someone touching his robe. It turns out, a woman that had been bleeding for twelve years crawled her way to Jesus with so much faith, predicting that if she could just touch the robe of the Savior of the world, she would be healed. And you know what? She was.

Immediately after the miracle, a messenger comes exclaiming that the daughter of Jairus has passed away and that Jesus shouldn’t bother coming anymore. But Jesus replies:

“Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.”

- Luke 8:50

Fascinating how these events happen in such close proximity, isn’t it? That Jesus displays his power activated by faith in front of a man who is in desperate need of the power of God. Isn’t it interesting that Jesus reveals a reality unlocked by faith that far surpasses the predictions we can make in our minds?

Following the healing of the woman, Jesus went to the house of Jairus and brought the girl back to life.

Jairus discovered a new level of faith by witnessing the healing power of Jesus and is ready to experience a reality beyond his predictions.

A reality he couldn’t dream of creating on his own, but was ready to experience through faith in Jesus.

Today, don’t speculate about what Jesus might do, look to the Scriptures to see what He’s done. Because what He’s done shows the character of who He is, and what He will do for me and for you.