Leap of Faith: from High Ropes to Letting Go
For the past several years, my son has spent his birthday away at camp. We often celebrate before he leaves or when he returns. For birthdays at camp, the female counselors gather around the male campers and sing Happy Birthday to various other tunes (this year it was the Star Spangled Banner).
He doesn’t mind missing the candles and cake on the actual day—camp is his happy place. It’s a place where he feels alive, confident, and free. Over the years, he’s built friendships that have lasted. The group chat between his cabin mates is rarely inactive. He pushes himself physically on obstacle courses, overcoming fears and facing new challenges in ways he doesn’t do at home. He’s been spiritually stretched and is often sought out as a prayer warrior or wise counsel among his camp friends.
This year, when I asked him about his favorite part of camp (with the caveat) “Besides your friends,” he said, “The leap of faith.” I raised my eyebrows at this. “Really?”
You see, my son is not the first to volunteer for heights or big risks of any kind. He tends to think things through carefully. He doesn’t seek out thrills without purpose. He prefers quiet solitude. Most of his “risks” are in the world of video games.
This year, something about the high-ropes elements at camp impacted him greatly. Strapped into a harness, he climbed a tall wooden pole and jumped, reaching for a trapeze bar just out of reach. The goal of the “leap of faith” is simple enough: leap from the platform and grab the bar. When you catch the bar, you soar. If you miss, the harness catches you.
As I listened to him describe the moment, I could hear how his apprehension turned to excitement. This leap is more than a physical stunt—it’s a metaphor for our faith. This year, the relevance is more meaningful.
My son turned seventeen at camp, and every day feels a bit like climbing that pole. With every choice and plan, the stakes get higher. As parents, we’re on the ground, holding the ropes, shouting encouragement, praying he’ll reach his goals and land safely.
His decisions now carry lasting weight. College and career plans, friendships, and testing his faith. His responsibilities grow as he tests his limits and discovers how far he can go. In many ways, he is leaping, sometimes with confidence, with fear, but always with the knowledge that someone is holding the line. His parents are doing the same, gradually releasing the grip so he can soar.
While he’s still in our home, he has a harness and even a net in the form of boundaries and guidance. His consequences are smaller with more second chances. We all know the day is coming when the safety net will widen, and his choices will carry him to places we can’t follow.
This season of parenting feels like the high ropes course. We’ve invested in his learning, and we are taking a leap, trusting that we’ve given him all he needs. One day soon, he will soar. Sometimes, he may crash. We take comfort in knowing that even when we’re not the ones holding the rope, God is the truest safety harness.
While he learns to leap, we learn to let go, trusting a faithful Father to hold us both, steadfast and sure, through whatever comes our way.