According to a search on Biblegateway.com, the phrase "do not be afraid" appears in the Bible eighty-one times. Jesus himself uttered the phrase several times in the New Testament. The fact this phrase occurs so many times is evidence enough there are indeed things to fear in this world - and we are not to be afraid. So, what is fear? Where does fear originate? And how can we manage it? That is, how can we get over our fear?
Fear, much like stress, originates within our mind. Stimulated by external influences, fear is how we respond to the unknown - and sometimes the known. Fear can be generated by both what we know and don't know. Fear is our perception of both. Perhaps based on experience, we fear something like going to the dentist. Or we become terrified at having to present training in front of a group of coworkers. What I have learned about fear is it based on our perception of something and our anticipated response to it. Thus, managing fear is a matter of controlling our response to external stimuli and our perception.
On October 14, 2023, I crossed an item off my bucket list. I went skydiving! I had planned to go on my birthday two weeks earlier, but Hurricane Ian was in town. I am not afraid of heights, nor am I afraid of flying. Yet the prospect of jumping out of a perfectly good aircraft is daunting to say the least. My local skydiving facility is thirty miles away - a good forty-five minute drive. Needless to say, I had a lot of time to think about what I was getting ready to do that morning. In the previous weeks, I had done a significant amount of research on skydiving - how a parachute worked, how often cutaways are performed, reviewed statistics, watched hundreds of You Tube videos (both good and bad), and read article after article about the positive psychological effects of skydiving. I pondered all of this information as I drove that morning. I was excited; I was nervous; I was scared; and, yes, I was afraid. Anyone who jumps out of a plane for the first time is definitely a little afraid.
Once I arrived, I checked in and mulled around the hangar. Not understanding it at the time (although I do now), skydivers are an interesting breed of person. They are relaxed, happy, carefree, jocular, sincere people who are seemingly never in a rush. While we waited for the clouds to roll out, I barraged the instructors with questions. I'm sure they're used to it from newbies. After all, they were once in my shoes. I studied the landing area - an expanse of grass marked with windsocks and orange cones that are affectionately known as the "beer line" for licensed jumpers. I was informed landing in front of the beer line obligated the jumper to buy a round of beer for all the staff and licensed jumpers. Yeah, this was my kind of crowd. But that didn't ease my anxiety. I continued to pace and ruminate. If you ever want to engage in deep introspection, the moments leading up to your first skydive are enlightening to say the least. As intense as that time is, it was about to get even more intense.
The clouds had cooperated and opened a blue expanse of sky, hence the frequently exchanged phrase "blue skies." My instructor came over and introduced himself. He did a quick run-through of everything we would do once we got on the plane. Reassuringly, he informed me that it didn't matter if I remembered everything - or anything, for that matter, because he would be running the show. With nearly 2,000 jumps, he was very experienced. He was as relaxed and matter-of-fact as though we were driving down the road to get a cup of coffee. His calm defied understanding. Meanwhile, I was approaching a mental state like a martial artist preparing to break a cinder block with his head. I stepped into my harness and back into my childhood. Like a toddler holding his Osh Kosh overalls, I stood idly by while my instructor adjusted my harness. Once he was satisfied, he excused himself to don his "rig," what novices mistakenly refer to as a parachute. (A rig is a container that holds both the main and reserve canopies.) While he was busy doing that, my videographer, a very chill young lady, had me step outside for a pre-jump interview. Time for last words, I thought. She introduced me and asked a few questions. My instructor joined us, along with other tandem jumpers and fun jumpers and we headed to the plane. This was it. There was no turning back now.
As I mentioned in the beginning, I am not afraid of heights or flying, but it's quite a different experience when you board a plane knowing you are going to jump out of it. The inside of a skydiving plane is unlike other planes. The traditional forward-facing seats have been replaced with bench seats. Jumpers face rearward toward the door, which by the way is a roll-top style door. Once aboard, the plane sputtered to life and we made the short taxi to the runway. I was surprised at the power the single engine plane had as we roared down the runway. In moments we were airborne. As the plane rose from the ground, a myriad of thoughts ran through my mind. I told myself if I survived I would be a better person; I questioned why I was jumping; I analyzed my life and considered what was important. My thoughts were interrupted by the instructors and licensed jumpers, who were fist-bumping and celebrating like it was halftime at the big game and they were several touchdowns ahead. I joined in the revelry, or I should say pretended to as I watched the ground quickly disappear out the window. When we reached 8,000 feet, my instructor told me to sit back, literally on his lap, so he could synch the four straps securing me to him - and the parachute. We were now inseparable.
Reaching our cruising altitude of 13,500, the plane slowed abruptly so much so it caused me to lean backward - not unlike stepping firmly on the brake pedal in a car. One of the jumpers in the rear slid the door open. A rush of cool air flooded the cabin. I realized at that moment I had never been in a plane at altitude with the door open. What seemed all too real became even more so as I watched a series of jumpers exit the plane with a woosh! They simply vanished out the door, abducted by the wind. My instructor and I began to inch forward. We were next! My videographer climbed out of the plane, precariously perched on a small step outside the door with both hands on a rail above it. I sat in the doorway looking down at the earth. My legs dangled freely in the cool air. As discussed, we leaned out, in, and then...we were gone!
This is it, I told myself. I can't believe I'm finally doing this! In just a few short seconds I was at terminal velocity - and I was free! Overcome with euphoria unlike anything I have experienced, I understood why people skydive. As Will Smith stated in his recounting of his skydiving experience, it was "pure bliss." The wind rushed past me at 120 mph as I flew like a bird. Other than the ground growing closer, I had no sense of falling. I was floating on a cushion of air. It was undeniably the most exhilarating experience of my life. I couldn't help but smile. The fifty seconds of free fall seemed much longer. I waved at my videographer, who flew directly ahead of me about thirty feet away. I studied the landscape, taking in the expanded view the altitude provided. My mind was at perfect peace. Life had been compressed into a single moment. It was a ride that I did not want to end. Above me, I saw my instructor perform the wave-off - the indication to other skydivers that he was going to deploy his (our) chute. The moment of truth. In a matter of seconds we decelerated rapidly. Gone was the howling wind, replaced by complete silence. After verifying our chute was good (remember all those You Tube videos?), I gushed about how incredible the experience was. My instructor gave me the toggles and let me steer the chute. The earth is an incredibly peaceful place at 4,000 feet. He asked me what I thought. Bursting with enthusiasm, I told him it was the greatest thing I had ever experienced (and it was). (I also recall telling him I wanted Mexican food. The adrenaline rush stimulates the appetite.) It only took a few minutes before we came in for a gentle landing. Upon disconnecting the harness, my videographer, who had landed before us so she could capture the landing, asked me if I would do it again. "I sure would!" I replied. In fact, I knew before we landed I was going to come back and take the Accelerated Free Fall course so I could jump on my own.
I thought about that experience every day for weeks. It took a little time to process, but what I learned is that on the other side of fear is freedom. That is, fear paralyzes us. It prevents us from fulfilling our potential, pursuing our dreams, taking a chance, and achieving maximum joy in life. Fear, like stress, is self-generated. It's our own creation, something we and we alone make for a variety of reasons. We fail to realize we have the power to overcome our fear. Recalling the phrase "do not be afraid," I suddenly realized why it is frequently used in the Bible. With God on our side, certainly we should fear nothing. Easier said than done many times. However, within the admonition lies the secret - to not be afraid. In other words, we have a choice in the matter, or at least a particapatory role. Telling someone not to be afraid is probably about as effective as telling someone to calm down. Yet we are instructed to not be afraid. Why? Because we have the capacity, with God's help, to overcome fear. Overcoming fear is matter of facing the fear, processing, and learning from the expeience. On the other side of fear is freedom. Man was created to be free. He was not created to be imprisoned in any way. Fear enslaves the mind and renders us ineffective. Fear is a byproduct of man's fallen state. Yet we can overcome it! With God's help we can face our fears and conquer them. We can experience the freedom we were created to have. It is through that freedom that we can witness and evangelize.
Skydiving changed my life. In the months that followed my tandem jump, I began working on my A license - the initial skydiving certification. I'm still tense in the plane as I run through the sequence of events to be performed on that particular jump. I review my emergency procedures and touch all of my handles in the proper order. I remain focused. But when it's time get in the door and jump, my heart races with excitement because I've been here before. There is no fear. (Yes, there is a healthy respect, which one should have.) Every time I exit the plane I experience the other side of fear - freedom. My perspective on fear has forever changed. Fear no longer occupies a place in my mind like it once did. The freedom of skydiving and removal of fear has caused me to consider the disciples and how effectively they were able to minister absent fear. It has also removed the obstacles to effective witnessing once present in my life. Fear has no place in the Christian life. Yet sin has allowed it to creep into our lives and malign our effectiveness. Fear can indeed be conquered. "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31).
Therefore, do not be afriad!
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