A single word about your legs.

Throughout the Bible, we are given access to wonderful stories of miraculous events. The blind gain sight, the dead are brought back to life, the lame are healed. But last night, I think I found my favorite example.

It’s in Acts 3:8 and I’m only going to highlight one word within one sentence. Here is what happens after Peter heals a crippled man:

Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God

The word I want to focus on is “jumping.” I think that is beautiful. It’s such a childlike, pure reaction to receiving a gift. He doesn’t calmly stretch out his new legs and walk about with apprehension. He jumps. He leaps about, probably in a silly, ecstatic fashion that drew the stares of those around him.

In that verse, I find great conviction for my own life though, because I cannot read it without hearing the Lord over my shoulder quietly whispering, “Why aren’t you jumping? Why aren’t you jumping?”

And he’s right. I have been healed. I have gained more than my legs, I have gained my soul. The very core of who I am has been healed by the father. And to be honest, save for this blog, on most days it does not jump. I am a cripple that has been healed and is now using his legs to walk slowly about the sidewalk. I may run a little on Sunday, but most of the week my legs are still and dormant. I don’t think that is what Christ wants.

I think he wants me in the street. I think he wants me jumping around and leaping about, on legs that are new, with a heart that is healed. I think he wants us to shout and sing and praise and laugh and cry and be real with the gift he has given us. I think he wants everyone that comes in contact with me to know that something is different, that something is true that used to be false. I think he wants everyone I know to ask questions about why I jump so often, so loudly.

So that, that is my question for you today. In South Africa, in Brunei, in Norcross, GA – are you jumping?