A leap of faith

Standing on the stairs holding my arms out, I briefly wondered if he really would jump.

Then he jumped.
27 pounds of toddler landed squarely in my arms and we proceeded down the stairs.

I began thinking:
What if I had decided not to catch him?
What if I hadn't been strong enough to hold him?
What if he had decided not to jump?

Then I realized:
I would never decide not to catch him. He is my son; I love him; I want only the best for him. If I could help it, I would never cause him pain.
I am strong enough to hold him. He is my son; I pick him up every day. I know everything about him, and I know I can hold him.
I knew he would jump. He wanted to proceed on his journey down the stairs, and jumping into my waiting arms was the best way to do so. And he knew--he had faith--that I would catch him and carry him to his destination.

And then I realized:
If we only have the faith to jump into God's strong, waiting arms, He will carry us to our destination. He is willing to catch us every time, and He is more than strong enough to hold us. He knows how much strength each one of us will require, just as He knows the number of hairs on our heads. If we want to proceed successfully on our journey here on earth, we have no choice but to take a leap of faith and jump into our Father's arms.

"Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."
Mark 10:15