When Did We Stop Jumping? #394

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When Did We Stop Jumping? #394

Our three-year-old grandson arrived at our house and ran straight to the trampoline, leaving his shoes in the yard. No one told him to stop because we love watching him and all of the grandchildren jump on our trampoline. With every fall, there’s an adult who gasps and says, “Be careful,” but the child laughs and bounces again.

I think that mindset of excitement, along with the bounce again mentality, is true for all kids when they jump on a trampoline. It’s amazing how a trampoline can become a magnet that draws kids to fall down, bounce again, and keep laughing. The ground simply can’t do what the trampoline does.

I’ve also watched adults jump on the trampoline. Now, I’m not talking about the ones you see on YouTube, but the adults in backyards who don’t seem to have the fall-down, bounce mentality again as kids do. Adults play it safe, think about the risk of getting hurt or looking foolish when they fall. Kids don’t worry about getting hurt or looking silly. They just laugh it off and jump more.

This makes me ask: when did one setback, disappointment, breakup, job change, or loss change our mindset from bouncing back to staying down? Is it even possible to be like a child again where the desire to jump again outweighs the risk of falling down?

Watching my grandson tonight reminded me of something Jesus once said in Matthew 18:3-4. “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” For years, I assumed those verses were telling adults to be humble. But after watching the kids on the trampoline, I see it differently. I watch how children trust without hesitation. They run to the trampoline without fearing they’ll fall. They get back up after each fall because the fall is part of the fun and not the end. Maybe that's what Jesus wanted His followers to remember about their childhood.

So I want to encourage you to come to our Lord Jesus with a childlike heart again. Someone who leaves worry aside, laughs when they fall, and trusts Him the way a child trusts there’s always another bounce. Don’t be confused by the invitation because Christ is not asking you to be childish again. He's calling you to run toward Him with the same confidence my three-year-old grandson had when he ran to our trampoline.

So tomorrow, you’ll probably fall down again; that’s life. But refuse to stay down; instead, smile and get up, knowing that God’s not done with you yet. If you want to live a legacy, then have the same confidence as a child who runs to Mimi and Papa’s trampoline.

If you're ready to jump into living your legacy, visit lighthouselegacies.com to learn more. Also, check out the Living Your Legacy Podcast.