Leap of Faith

During the month of May I have done a lot of thinking and reflecting on the things that have transpired in my life over the last four years. Four years ago, I had a stroke that seemed to set off a reaction of multiple health problems. It has literally been one thing after another. While the last four years have been a challenge, they have also proved to be a great teaching opportunity, not only for me to learn but for others as well.

In the September 2007 Ensign, Elder David A. Bednar, shared a message titled “Seek Learning by Faith.” In his message he said, “Recall how the Israelites came to the river Jordan and were promised the waters would part, and they would be able to cross over on dry ground. Interestingly, the waters did not part as the children of Isreal stood on the banks of the river waiting for something to happen; rather, the soles of their feet were wet before the water parted. The faith of the Isrealites was manifested in the fact that they walked into the water before it parted. They walked into the river Jordan with a future-facing assurance of things hoped for.”

As I have thought about this account, I’ve reflected on how I’ve had to act on faith and “step into the water” on so many occasions during the last four years. I can honestly say that it hasn’t been easy. The last four years have been extremely challenging and at times more than I could bear. With the help from family and trust in a Father in Heaven that eventually everything would turn out alright, I started taking one step after another into the “water” hoping that it would part. Every time I took a step into the “water” it did part long enough to give me hope and a vision of what could be but then the “waters” returned, and I was left trying to get through them until they parted again.

My most recent leap of faith has occurred just within the last couple of days. I have been on crutches for the last six and a half months. I was told back in November 2018, that my Talus bone in my ankle was not only fractured but it had also collapsed on the lateral side about 2 mm. The fracture and collapse happened as a result of me just walking and having soft bones. It took about four months for the fracture to heal but I was allowed to start putting a little weight on my foot before it completely healed. For the last four months I have been putting a little weight on it each week, building up to the point where I could put full weight on it and start walking again. It’s been a long process full of hope, discouragement, tears, and every other kind of emotion you can think of. This last week I finally reached the point that I’ve been waiting and praying for.

For the last 6 ½ months my crutches have been my safety net. I’ve had to use them day in and day out to get where I wanted. I’ve hated them and couldn’t wait to get rid of them but when it came down to just using one crutch to get around and then no crutch, I couldn’t do it. I was so terrified that if I started walking without my crutches something bad was going to happen. After going through what I’ve been through for the past four years I didn’t want to leave my safety net and take a step out into the “water.” But despite how scared I’ve been I decided to take a leap of faith having hope that this time as I’ve taken the necessary steps, my foot won’t break, that I won’t develop sores on the bottom of my foot, and that I won’t end up on crutches in a month or more.

Sometimes we’re asked to do really hard things in life. At times the task may seem impossible and you just want to shrink away and not go through it. But I have learned that if you just take that leap of faith and step out into the “water” miracles are going to happen. I have seen that countless times in my life and I know that I will continue to see it throughout the rest of my life as I take those leaps of faith.

Over the last four years I have come to know without a doubt that Heavenly Father is aware of each of his children and what they are going through. I don’t know how He does it, but He is always there for us. He loves us so much and knows that the things we experience in this life will be a blessing to us if we will let it. My love for my Father in Heaven and my Savior, Jesus Christ, has grown so much and I know that they live. When we do what we are asked to do, even when it seems impossible, we will be blessed.