When was the last time you took a Leap of Faith? How did you muster up the courage to face that mountain in front of you, to overcome the Raging Seas, and allow God to show how truly amazing He can be? For those of us who fall into the Enneagram 5 classification, risk is considered our kryptonite; and yet, for me, when I embrace the unknown and enter into the adventure that God has planned, I’m rarely disappointed with the end result. Muddling through the Messy Middle might take me down several unexpected paths, as I have found on this research project, but it’s rarely boring and the results seldom land me in the same place as my original hypothesis. But if I choose to reflect on the past half century of my life, it’s when I’m willing to seize the moment and take a Leap of Faith, that God allows me a glimpse into His meaning and purpose for my life.
Now, most of us will relate to the reality that some Leaps of Faith are more challenging than others, but regardless of the level of difficulty, whether it comes as a small leap such as being willing to present at a faculty workshop, or a larger leap to writing and creating a blog, I’m discovering that its in these Leaps of Faith that I am finding a very unexpected spiritual experience. (I’ll share more about my writing journey in Spiritual Discipline). But the main topic, that originally, I would not have considered as a Leap of Faith, relates to the creation of college courses, what we call course design in higher education. Jeffry Davis views Gibson and Beitler’s approach to Charitable Writing, as a Leap of Faith, a willingness to engage in “integrating biblical convictions with current scholarship to create something more authentic and invigorating. Their choice was between two paths: instruction as status quo or instruction as via nova. With a concern for their students’ needs and a dedication to their profession, Gibson and Beitler have chosen to reconceptualize their writing courses, taking a leap of faith, believing that a new thing is possible.” Maybe God is prompting me to take a Leap of Faith and to create that course in career readiness for our students.
Personally, when engaging in the endeavor of designing or re-designing a course, the underlying motivation is that, not only will these courses fulfill a current practical need, but the course will also become a springboard for student growth in all areas of their life. When describing how Gibson and Beitler desired to teach Charitable Writing, Davis acknowledges their Leap of Faith into something new, “Undoubtedly, maintaining an established classroom methodology is always easier than adopting a novel one, because the latter requires greater intention and effort. Yet our calling as teachers demands exactly that. A good instructor models the very habits of a curious and conscientious student. As Charles Duhigg reveals, ‘Habits are powerful, but delicate. They can emerge outside our consciousness, or can be deliberately designed’…Effective teachers cultivate an attitude of receptivity, even eagerness, toward the consideration and adoption of healthy new habits, particularly as they pertain to instructional motives and modes. And as Christian educators, we have a faith tradition that encourages us to acquire holy habits of the heart and mind. These habits prove to be life-giving, for ourselves and our students.”
So, whether God is requesting that you engage in a writing project, create a new college course, or design the next Taj Mahal, consider how He might reward you when you take that Leap of Faith. Perhaps it will become a Defining Moment in your life and open doors that you weren’t even aware existed. Please share in the comments below any Leaps of Faith, small or large, where you see how God used that moment in your life.
References:
Davis, J.C. (2020). Appendix B. In Charitable writing: Cultivating virtue through our words. (p. 187). IVP Books.
Flourishing @ Life 