Jump, Grasshopper, Jump
As I sat in the stuffy auditorium on a warm June evening, my mind raced. I had tuned out the energetic preacher on the stage who was delivering this Baccalaureate speech two days before my graduation from Ursinus College. My thoughts swept through memories of my three years on this campus, its professors and my friends. This place had sharpened my mind and captured my heart but what would I miss most? Enjoying the incredible ice cream sundaes in the basement cafe with my best buddies? Gazing in wonder at the infamous tree in the football field end zone? Studying with friends in the upper corner of Orin Hall? Worshiping God with my close-knit Bible fellowship group? And then it happened, the preacher spoke three words that captured my attention and were forever engraved on my memory,
“Jump, grasshopper, jump!”
“Jump, grasshopper, jump,” repeated as both an admonition and uplifting to my graduating class. This college had provided critical skills, well beyond knowledge, and now it was time to jump as high as I could, like a grasshopper, into the next season of my life.
Little did I know at the time how those three words would poke, prod and encourage me time and again, year after year. Amazingly, a grasshopper can generally jump in height about twenty times its length. For a human, that equates to hopping over a 5-story building, an unlikely feat. Whenever I’ve been faced with a major decision in my life, those words have resonated with me. Jump! Grasshopper! Jump!
In the months following my college graduation, I weighed job opportunities. “Jump, grasshopper, jump,” popped repeatedly into my head. I was willing to jump (at least a little) but wasn’t sure how high. Which field, which job, which career path? Although I loved my small hometown in northeastern Pennsylvania (except for the weather), it offered few, if any, career options for me. When the words “jump, grasshopper, jump” struck, they almost tormented me. I had lived in this town my whole life; I was comfortable here. Was I willing to take the risk of moving to a larger town or city? Could I leave my beloved family and my lifelong friends? Should I pursue graduate school? I had no idea if I could take a baby step, much less jump a single inch in any direction. Mountains of fear, anxiety and doubt blocked my way.
Finally, one evening, I shared my conundrum with friends in my church group. At that point, the words had spun in my head so much that they had formed a spider web of confusion. My dear friend, Joan, blessed with the spiritual gift of wisdom, empowered by the Holy Spirit, shared exactly the message I needed to hear, saying “as a Christian, ‘jump, grasshopper, jump’ should automatically be your call to jump to prayer.”
And right she was. From that moment forward, no matter the situation, “jump, grasshopper, jump” has beckoned me into conversation with the Lord. Leaping into prayer, God answered clearly, forget graduate school for now, move to San Diego, California, pursue a career in the emerging computer field instead of psychology.
Considering a job opportunity or contemplating a difficult decision,
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God.” Philippians 4:6
Facing an illness or financial difficulties,
“The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” Psalm 145:18
Spring into prayer, when in the depths of mourning, when lonely or when betrayed or ghosted by a friend. When too weak to express your pain, remember,
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” Romans 8:26-27
Jump, leap, hop, bounce or soar into prayer. Don’t let the smallest bump or the highest mountain block your path to communion with God. My encouragement to you, dear reader, is “jump, grasshopper, jump” over those hills and mountains. He loves you dearly and is faithful to hear and answer in His time and according to His will and good pleasure.
