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 There is this one jump in figure skating that is more difficult-if not the most difficult-jump to learn among the other jumps. One major reason is because it requires the skater to make an extra 1/2 rotation in the air. The rest of the other jumps require only 1, 2, 3...rotations. The axel always requires an extra 1/2. Thus, it's always 1 1/2, 2 1/2, 3 1/2, etc.
One instructional book on figure skating described it as a "do-or-die" jump, requiring the skater to give his all in the take off. Otherwise, he gets nothing. (Actually, he gets a fall.) When one is learning to do the axel for the first time, it is almost inevitable for him to experience a generous share of falls and bruises. And the more he hesitates during take off, the more likely it is for him to land on the ice with his butt rather than with his blade.
The axel jump reminds me of my how our relationship with our Abba Father should be like. Have you ever encountered someone who is walking in "half-hearted obedience" to God? Or perhaps, you have experienced it yourself. You give God part of your heart but hold back the rest. Perhaps, you allow God to direct your personal life but you tell him to stay off your career, or vise-versa. Or maybe, during some days you are walking in total surrender but other days you choose to harden your heart and do things your way. In the long run, the half-hearted ends up hurting himself rather than finding true freedom. Because when we disregard God's will, we are actually delaying the fulfillment of His perfect plan for our lives. Worse yet, we are positioning ourselves for trouble and forfeiture of blessings.
It is also possible to have a heart that is 100% decided to obey God, but then one that wavers in faith. Sometimes, we do want to obey God, but the moment He asks us to take "the plunge" or step out in faith, we hesitate. God sometimes asks us to take risks for the sake of pursuing his call on our life. It may be a financial risk, an emotional step of faith, a spiritual dare to dream... Inasmuch as God gently leads us and matures us in faith in Him, once He knows that we are ready, He will take us to the cliff of decision, which is like a place where Peter was asked to walk on water. The actual jump will depend on us and God will not force us to jump for Him. But the moment we jump, God will take us to heights we've never been before. Certainly, a father like Him would never let us down!
I remember my first lessons on the axel and how my skating coach taught it to me without the aid of a harness (or a device attached to ones body and is held by a chord that your coach or spotter can hold firmly so he can pull you up and keep you from falling). My coach said that I have to step up into the air, that I had to throw my foot upward and propel my body into the air. It is not until my body is in the air that I should begin to rotate. I remember obeying him a matter of factly. Although the instruction sounded impossible to complete, I simply obeyed because I trusted my coach. I knew that he knows what he is talking about and that if I disregard part of his instruction, I would be risking my safety more. And so jump I did, without inhibition, hesitation, or apprehension. I didn't think of falling, I only thought of soaring. And soar I did. It was a decision to trust that his instructions will indeed work that made me fly. And it was total obedience that paid off.
This, I believe, is what God requires from us - our all. Not because He wants to make the requirement difficult but simply because our total surrender unclogs our heart channels of our (self) will, allowing God to come freely with His surge of power, enabling us to fly.
Matthew 10:39
"If you don't go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you don't deserve me. If your first concern is to look after yourself, you'll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you'll find both yourself and me. (The Message)
"He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it." (New King James Version)
Riza Olaguer
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