Here is today’s podcast, which is a continuation of my talk on overcoming your fears. The best way to overcome fear is to face it head on. So get out there and be a do-er and a be-er. You have what it takes and you are more than a conquer. Be fearless!
Previous episodes are available on iTunes.
Today’s podcast deals with facing your fears. Hope you enjoy it. All previous episodes are available on iTunes. 🙂
I hit the water feet first. I don’t recall hitting the bottom and it didn’t seem like I was underwater for very long. The life vest kept me from plunging too far down. I probably wouldn’t have made the jump without it. Underwater, I felt peace and I just relaxed my entire body until I reached the surface.
When I came up, I heard the muffled sounds of cheers. I was still alive, except for a bad case of vertigo that lasted about ten or fifteen minutes. My ears were filled with water. Other than that, I was fine and so thankful that I jumped.
Now, I don’t want you to think that I’m this careless and reckless person who goes around jumping off of cliffs and doing other crazy, death defying stunts. I do exercise a great deal of caution and am sensitive to God’s direction regarding what I should and shouldn’t do.
There is a difference between godly discernment and a spirit of fear. What I felt when I was standing on the edge of that rock above the Kern River was a spirit of fear. I had witnessed many people jump off of that same cliff before me, and they were all fine. Some of them wanted to do it again.
Even after having witnessed the evidence that it was okay to jump, I still cowered. There was no reason for me to be afraid. If I had begun to drown, the guides were excellent swimmers and trained to perform daring rescues.
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.
2 Timothy 1:7 (Amplified)
After the rafting trip, I began to assess the past year of my life. In comparison to the previous years, I had done some pretty interesting things that, at one time, I thought I’d never do. I used to be very timid and fearful. I was a coward. I have begun to come out of my shell more and more. Every time I do something adventurous, I feel bolder and more courageous, like I can overcome anything that comes my way. I have learned to look fear in the eyes and laugh in its face.
The next great adventure I went on after conquering Half Dome was whitewater rafting on the Lower Kern River. I had never rafted before and was thrilled about the opportunity to go. I went with one of the hiking groups I’m involved with.
After the Half Dome conquest, I was like, bring on the adventures! I wasn’t afraid of anything. That is, until we reached a place along the river where our guides parked the rafts and allowed people to get out, hike up to the top of this big rock that stood about 30 feet up from the swiftly flowing river, and (you guessed it) jump.
At first, I was dead set against jumping off of that rock. After watching several people jump, I got curious enough to make the short hike up there and get in line. When it was my turn to jump, fear socked me in the gut. I walked over to the edge and peered over.
The distance between me and the swift current below frightened me. People near the rafts who had already jumped, as well as the ones behind me who had yet to jump, cheered me on. I couldn’t do it. I stepped aside to allow someone else to go. I yearned for further motivation.
After the guy jumped, I went to the edge again and looked down at the water. My heart was beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I heard the people below cheering for me again, but I still couldn’t do it. I backed away from the edge and one more person jumped.
I was the last person and the guide told me that we had to start heading down the river in a few minutes. I either had to jump or take the walk of shame back down to the rafts. I went to the edge one more time and heard Karen, from our group, say that she was going to count to three. She began the countdown.
I started to back away, but then decided to make the jump and go against my fears. I stood right at the edge with my heart beating ever so fast, took a deep breath, and literally stepped off the rock into nothing. I was no longer in control of anything that happened after that. Nothing was beneath my feet. Nothing was near me to grab onto to. I had completely surrendered my will to the unknown.
Yes, there was water, but how deep was it? Yes, I wore a life vest, but would it really hold up if I went too deep? Were there rocks beneath the surface on which I could have hit my head or broken a bone? I didn’t have the answers to any of those questions. I just jumped.
Tales of the Trails 