I have a childhood friend who was born February 29, 1972. That’s right, he’s a leap year baby. If you ask him his age, he’ll tell you he’s only 10 years old. Today he gets to enjoy celebrating his ACTUAL birthday on his ACTUAL day as he turns fabulous 40.

The concept of a leap year fascinates me. Essentially, this day is added to our calendar as a corrective measure. Here’s a little science lesson explaining leap year. The easiest explanation for having a leap year is that the earth does not orbit around the sun in precisely 365 days, so an added day every few years corrects our calendar. Without this calendar correction, within 100 years, we’d be off about 24 days! Another little fact about our calendar is that a year that is NOT a leap year is called a common year.

Interesting … a leap year is for corrective measures and a non-leap year is called a common year? I see great spiritual significance through this model. How many of us have goals or dreams for our lives, whether big or small, that we just can’t seem to accomplish? Have we, little by little, gotten off track by discouragement, disillusionment or fear and we need a time for corrective measures to get us back on track? There seems to be no better time than the present…today, in fact! Isn’t it interesting that our calendar refers to the years that need corrective measures as a common year and the year that corrects our calendar is the leap year?

I want to encourage you that you are not alone; in fact, it’s common that many of us find ourselves further away from our goals than we had hoped. Whether the struggle lies in putting down the chocolate and staying disciplined to lose that last 10 pounds, letting go of a past hurt or never putting a pen to the paper to write that book that’s been on your heart, we all battle each day with defining, activating and reaching our goals. This is common. BUT this is the year to make the corrective measures and to renew your sense of determination and drive to do that one thing that feels just out of your reach … to LEAP.

It’s a little known fact that I am a thrill seeker. I can’t actually trace back to where or from whom I developed this personality trait. I identify with the idea that if it doesn’t completely terrify me, it’s not worth it. “Go big or go home”–that’s my motto. Strange, I know.

Years ago, at a time I refer to as B.C. (Before Children), my life lent itself to more opportunities for thrill seeking experiences. My husband and I were living in New Zealand, (known as the adventure capital of the world), which was a perfect match for me. We enjoyed as much adventure as possible such as bungee jumping, ice glacier hiking, jet boat thrill rides, luge racing, hot air ballooning, scuba diving, sand dune boarding, and my all time favorite, sky diving. I’m sure many of my family members wondered if I had a death wish during this season of my life. The truth was that I felt that child bearing was in my imminent future, and I had foresight to see that my overdriven sense of adventure would come to a crashing halt once children arrived on the scene. I was right. Well, right in a sense; there’s still adventure, just of a different kind.

I can remember like it was yesterday, me sitting on the edge of the plane over Queenstown, New Zealand. The beauty was something from a fairy tale book. I recall the knot in my stomach right before the big leap off the edge of the plane into 9,000 feet of sky above the earth. The jump was everything I had hoped for. Absolutely exhilarating for the first 10 seconds, then absolutely surreal as we soared like birds peacefully to our landing spot. In fact, once the parachute opened, I was surprised at how serene my descent was. I could actually breathe deep and take it all in.

It’s interesting that I will jump out of an airplane having no second thoughts; yet find myself terrified to actually leap towards a dream for fear of failure. What keeps us from taking that leap in our every day lives? In relation to skydiving, it could be the fear of the unknown. We don’t know that we will land unharmed or without scars or distress. Uncharted territory has no assurance of survival, so staying safe and doing what is familiar is the obvious choice we make. I liken my skydiving leap as great symbolism for what God has for each of us. What if everything great that God is calling us to requires getting a knot in our stomach because it’s stretching us past our comfort zone? What if we end up finding exhilaration in taking that leap and not the sense of terror as imagined? What if we find peace in the midst of the leap as we can breathe deep and take it all in? This is the amazing part of trusting God with our future. What is required of us is the leap of faith and then God will guide us the rest of the way. But the leap is SO important. God won’t force you. He may gently and lovingly nudge you a bit, but He will let you make the ultimate decision of how high and far you will choose to leap. Thankfully, as we leap, we have His reassurance of safety through His word.

In Jeremiah 29:11 it says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”

In Proverbs we are told to “trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.” (3:5-6).

Another reminder is Joshua 1:9: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged for the Lord thy God will be with you where ever you go.”  

And Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

These are amazing truths to appease any apprehension toward taking the next leap toward your destiny. It’s yours for the taking if you will choose to not take the common route, which eventually requires corrective measures, and instead spend today and the next year LEAPING into all that God has for you. You can do it, and it will be thrilling!

Blynda Lane

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