Let him jump

This post is a response to the previous one about Isaiah jumping off the steps. We went to another friend's house yesterday and they had a front porch that was higher than the two-step landing he jumped from a few days ago. The first thing he did when we got to the house was climb the steps and walk to the edge as if he was going to jump.

I can't say I thought it was a good idea this time, but I tried to practice what I preach and I didn't get involved, however, our friend reached out for him and said, "don't jump, it's a long ways down." She was right. She grabbed his hand walked him away from the edge. This little moment caused me to think that sometimes we need to throw caution aside and let him jump.

I heard a talk almost 10 years ago by Erwin McManus and he told a story of a time his son crawled out his bedroom window onto the roof and asked his dad if he would catch him if he jumped. Dad said he would try to catch him, but couldn't promise that he would. The mother frantically told her son to get away from the edge and back inside. He elaborated on the story more, but concluded that often times, we get talked back inside when we should jump. In this particular situation, it might be a bad example, but in principle it is spot on.

We are often talked out of jumping and encouraged to go back inside because those who care for us are simply protecting us. Nearly every time, the reasons to protect him from what is perceived as an unnecessary risk are completely valid. However, the truth is those protective instincts could be holding him back from his God-given potential. Sometimes a risk is essential and completely necessary. Let him jump and be there for him if it's a success or a failure, but don't stop him from taking the leap. That might assure failure.

It was another lesson learned on the front porch. Am I going to talk my children back inside or am I going to watch them jump? Of course, they could get hurt. They might not be ready. They might not be good enough. I might just be protecting them because I care. They might need me. I might be right. But it's not about me. They might need to jump because it makes the most sense to them at the time and it's the only logical and reasonable avenue for growth. I should never get in the way of that. Sometimes I do need to let them jump.

"And the time came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." - Anaïs Nin