I’ve been thinking a lot lately about leaps of faith. Malvina Hoffman (1885-1966), a favorite artist/adventurer of mine, shared in her memoir Yesterday Is Tomorrow:
“There is something life-giving about jumping off the deep end, and finding that it is not really so bad as you had feared. Had I had time to think it over, I doubt if I would have dared do many of the things that have filled my life with adventure and unusual memories”
I’ve personally been influenced by many “Leapers” (both in real time and through books like Malvina’s). Through their generosity, daring, faith, and love they’ve offered the profound gift of encouraging me to “just jump” even when I was (almost always) afraid. What I am learning through the process is that when you jump enough into the unknown and survive each time, your jumping muscles develop, and you slowly learn that it’s not as bad as you may have originally feared…in fact it often leads to the richer way.
I’ve also learned that generosity, love, and leaps of faith are contagious…maybe we are not aware of their impacts at first…but leaps of faith in time bear fruit that is bigger than just one life. Scripture has much to say about the fruit of leaps of faith, hope, and love and the legacy a great chain of flawed and faithful lives—who built up their jumping muscles, dared greatly, believed deeply, and loved sacrificially—had on one another and are still influencing us today.
When I think of the children we serve together, the leaps and jumps our indigenous leaders, you, and I take to love and lift up the vulnerable I am convinced it produces an unmistakable hope bearing legacy that strengthens, energizes, and encourages the ‘least of these’ who are sharing the legacy of love invested in them with their world.
In chapter 35 of Isaiah, he writes:
Leaps of faith, hope, and love remind fearful souls that God is always here. Love has come. We are not alone in the darkness or dryness of life. There is an unseen Abundance that flows deep in, around, and through each of us after all.
This year we have an EXTRA DAY to participate in a LEAP of bold, generous, and inextinguishable Love and stand with those vulnerable to human trafficking! A generous donor has offered a LUV Day/Valentine’s Day matching grant of $25,000 that ends tomorrow (February 29th). Any donation designated for “Food” will be doubled and your gift will help us specifically send nourishing food to the vulnerable in Sudan and South Sudan.
And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. [Acts 3:8]
For they will know us by our Love,
Audrey Moore
Chief Executive Officer