I recently took my boys to the Sky Zone trampoline park since they had a day off from school. If you’ve never been,
it’s a large warehouse filled with trampolines, obstacle courses, basketball hoops, dodgeball courts, and more. It’s
the perfect place for a dad to kick back while his kids burn off all their excess energy. What I appreciate about Sky
Zone is how often they update their attractions. They’re always replacing older setups with new, more daring
challenges—because they know kids quickly lose interest if there’s no thrill involved.
Now, you may not know this about Melissa and me, but we’re both pretty cautious by nature. We had our younger
years of roller coasters, rock climbing, and general recklessness—but those days are mostly behind us. These days,
we usually play it safe. The only downside? That cautiousness can rub off on our boys. Each of them has a different
personality and comfort level with risk, but they all have their limits. There are moments when I think they should be
pushing their limits a bit—testing the line between safety and stupidity (in a controlled, padded trampoline park, of
course).
So, on this particular day, when I saw one of my boys hesitate to jump from the highest ledge, I decided to lead by
example. I climbed up, looked down… and jumped. But rather than bouncing back, my knees buckled, and I landed
flat on my back. I had hoped to inspire them—but all I did was leave them genuinely worried that their dad was
broken.
Things did not go as planned, but I still believe there’s a lesson here. You see, sometimes we, as parents, need to
take risks for the sake of our kids. As we walk through our 40-day campaign, maybe that’s the invitation: take the
risk. Start that family devotional. Lead a time of family prayer. Share the Gospel with that relative who needs Jesus.
Sure, you might stumble—but it’s a risk worth taking. Who knows what God might do when we take that first step?